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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27004438">This Time, Cinderella Needed a Prince and a Dragon to Save Her</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeChloeMevie358/pseuds/BeChloeMevie358'>BeChloeMevie358</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Descendants (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Evie-centric (Disney), Evie/Mal/Ben-centric, Hurt Evie (Disney), Multi, Polyamory, Protective Audrey Rose, Protective Ben (Disney: Descendants), Protective Carlos de Vil, Protective Mal (Disney), Themes from A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:01:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>52,011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27004438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeChloeMevie358/pseuds/BeChloeMevie358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mal hates her stupid boyfriend for making her join the school’s stupid play. If it weren’t for him doing that, she wouldn’t be spending her precious after-school hours working on stupid scene sets. If it weren’t for him doing that, she wouldn’t be seen as “finally trying to be a part of the [stupid] school community.” And if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t be actually hanging out with their crush of over two years.</p><p>Yeah, okay, so maybe “hate” was kind of a strong word…</p><p>TW's inside in beginning author's note of applicable chapters</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Audrey Rose/Aziz, Ben &amp; Evie &amp; Mal (Disney: Descendants), Ben &amp; Gil &amp; Harry Hook &amp; Jay &amp; Mal &amp; Uma &amp; Carlos de Vil, Ben/Evie/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Evie &amp; Audrey Rose (Disney), Evie &amp; Carlos de Vil, Evie &amp; Jane &amp; Li Lonnie &amp; Audrey Rose (Disney), Evie/Anthony Tremaine, Harry Hook/Uma, Jay &amp; Mal &amp; Uma, Jay &amp; Mal (Disney), Jay/Carlos de Vil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Convincing Mal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoy!</p>
<p>Trigger warnings: mentions of toxic relationship.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Oh, come on, Mal! It’ll be fun!” Benjamin LeBon implored to his stubborn girlfriend, Mal Moors, who was barely even acknowledging him as they sat on his family’s living room sofa together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was currently drawing in her beloved sketchbook while he spoke to her with the TV on yet completely in the background.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was in the middle of drawing a very interesting piece. It was set in a medieval time period with a knighted prince, a princess, and a dragon. However, rather than having the prince and dragon battling it out over custody/protection of the princess, they were working together to save her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The suited and armoured, blue-and-gold-clad prince had his royal sword ready for battle and was riding on the back of the green-fire-breathing, dark purple dragon with horns just as sharp and deadly as the sword as they charged at a huge golem, who was holding the terrified and injured yet always gorgeous, sapphire princess captive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Where she found the inspiration for this piece, she had no conscious idea. She believed that she was never in control of her artistic mind and her hands merely brought to life what her brain conceptualized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nevertheless, she already knew this was going to be one of her favourite pieces, along with her mostly black-and-white, candid portrait of her boyishly handsome yet annoyingly persistent boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, ‘fun’ isn’t exactly the word I’d use for signing up for the school play, Ben,” the other teenager retorted without even tearing her eyes away from the page.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha—Why not? Babe, you’re perfect for the lead!” the boy insisted, scooting closer to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>See, here was the conflict: Ben was the paragon of an active student participant. He was student body president of Auradon High, captain of two junior varsity school teams (football and lacrosse) in only his junior year, straight-A student, and now, student director of the school’s play of an original production of a Cinderella Story-type tale called A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits, written by himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His girlfriend, Mal. Well, she was the complete opposite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stayed away from any extracurriculars like they were the plague, unless she was genuinely interested in them, which was so rare that it was essentially a fantasy. She’d barely even go to all of her classes and had detention at least once every week.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was until she’d started dating Ben back around just before the summer before their freshman year of high school and also until she’d found out she actually liked hanging out with some of his other do-gooder friends. Damn good influences.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Speaking of which, she was also not exactly one for socializing with people outside of her own, little friend group. She preferred to stick around just those closest to her—people she personally “selected” to spend time with willingly—which was fine but also a negative characteristic in terms of her extroversion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So convincing her to even consider joining the school play was going to be a challenge. A challenge that her boyfriend was determined to conquer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal scoffed out a loud laugh and responded, “Why? Because I’m blonde, my mom’s a bitch, and I have a black cat?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, actually, you know it’s not about the original Cinderella, right? So none of that really matters, even the fact that you have smaller than average feet,” Ben teasingly corrected, to which he received an eraser projectile to the head, “I’m kidding. I’m kidding, babe. Seriously though. You’d be awesome. I mean, you definitely have the voice for our original compositions.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl gave her brown-haired boyfriend a doubtful look and pointed out, “The range of some of those songs is a little low for me. Your little, anonymous composer would have to transpose them up a bit if I were to become the lead and who even knows if you’ll be able to find them or get that done in time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss FG would be able to organize that and you’d still kill it, no doubt,” Ben immediately countered, earning him an exasperated expression, “Come on, Mal. Please! You know how much I wanna do this, but I don’t want it to pull me away from time with you for so long.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal closed her eyes, knowing her resolve started to break at the charming words and trying to rebuild it (So she was a big softie at heart. Sue her). However, the athlete caught the moment of weakness and jumped at it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d really like for you to be a part of the play, Mal,” Ben continued, “I really wish you hadn’t made me pull this card, mainly because I wanted it to be a nice surprise instead of some form of bribery, but there was the name of a certain gorgeous brunette we know on the sign-up list.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde compressed her lips and closed her eyes again, shaking her head, before she finally said with a reluctant smile, “You little fucker. That was a nasty play.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So?” the boy drew out the word hopefully, despite already assuming the answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate you so much,” Mal continued to deny giving any real confirmation as her eyes remained glued to her sketchbook, but that statement was enough verification.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too!” Ben exclaimed excitedly, bringing his girlfriend back into his arms so that she was comfortably lying across his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re such an idiot,” the girl laughed, placing her drawing stuff aside onto the coffee table as it didn’t seem like she was going to be getting any more work done on it, “Seriously though, I’m not auditioning for the lead. Not only is the vocal range thing true, but I’m not the trained dancer that you and Carlos want or need and I’m no actress. Jay told me he and his family are doing set design. I’ll sign up for that. I can paint shit and stuff.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Works for me. I’m just happy we’re doing this together,” the student body president easily agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I can never seem to deny you or our girl anything, can I?” Mal rhetorically asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and me both, babe,” Ben stated, “Who could ever deny her anything though?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very true,” the blonde concurred, “God, I wish we could call her our girl and actually be able to mean it that way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and me both, Mal,” the boy repeated in a slightly sadder tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then, the front door opened and Ben’s parents, Adam and Belle, walked in with groceries. The younger couple immediately got up to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, thank you, guys,” Belle said as the four of them began to put stuff away, “Mal, honey, are you staying for supper?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d love to, but, uh, my dad’s gonna be home tonight,” Mal answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course. Next time?” the older woman asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, guess what I just did,” Ben spoke to his parents, “I convinced Mal to sign up for the school play.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adam’s eyebrows rose in shock and he jokingly commented, “Oh, you must be a miracle-worker.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal smirked at her boyfriend’s dad and shook her head, trying not to laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And how exactly did you pull that off?” Belle asked, then paused in playful hesitance, “Wait, do we wanna know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha—Oh my god. No. Mom, no. That’s—I—We didn’t—I-I’m so not talking about that part of our relationship with you guys yet,” Ben stuttered, blushing heavily, while the others just laughed at his very flustered state, “I just used my skills in persuasion—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie signed up,” his girlfriend unabashedly revealed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two adults “oh”’d and “ah”’d in realization.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The couple felt no need to be ashamed about their incomplete throuple. For one thing, it was their own lives and they could be with whomever they wished to be with, no matter what others believed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It really helped though that Ben’s parents, Mal’s father, and all of their friends respectfully accepted them and the different aspect of their relationship. They truly believed in the statement that “love is love,” so everyone whose opinions mattered to them supported them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They also all knew about their mutual crush on a certain Evie Grimhilde. Incredibly kind, very intelligent, and drop-dead gorgeous Evie Grimhilde.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was in the same grade as them (a junior) and they would be considered friends, one would suppose. Not close friends, but definitely more than just acquaintances or classmates. They also had a lot of friends in common. Ben’s very first friend in fact was Evie’s best friend and one of Mal’s best friends’ boyfriend was Evie’s neighbour and very first friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three knew each other through a common, weekly activity as well. Every Tuesday evening at their high school (with permission of course), Ben and his family, including Mal, and a couple of their friends, including Evie, conducted a nonprofit event where they’d organize activities for children (Yes, Mal was good with kids. Never judge a book by its cover). It was primarily targeted for less fortunate kids who didn’t have as many opportunities for hobbies and recreation. However, all children were welcome of course.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They showed movies in the business room (it was like a mini auditorium), played games, played sports out on the field or in one of the gyms (depending), played modified sports, did crafts, etc. They even did tutoring.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a chance for children to socialize, have fun, get homework help if they needed it, keep themselves busy and out of trouble, and let the parents have a little, weekly break. It was basically like a youth group, but without a religion being incorporated into the activities.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben and his parents circulated the centre and kept an eye on everything while Mal usually did arts &amp; crafts, luckily for her, in the same classroom where Evie ran story/reading time just a couple feet away. Sometimes, they’d even join each other’s activity and Mal really liked it whenever that happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette girl was so great with kids. She truly cared for them and was an amazing role model. She made each and every one of them feel special and seemed to always know what to do and say with them in any given situation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And the kids loved her right back. They thought she was “so fun and smart and pretty as a princess” (They weren’t wrong). Ben’s and Mal‘s hearts couldn’t help but melt when watching this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They loved being around Evie, learning how incredible she truly was, despite still knowing very little about her, personally. She emitted an absolutely alluring aura and Mal and Ben were completely helpless to it, not that they minded nor tried to resist it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’d have asked the girl if she’d be interested in completing their relationship by that point if not for one thing that was in the way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is she not still dating that Tremaine boy?” Adam questioned curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the one thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no. She is for God knows what reason,” Mal answered, annoyance and disdain creeping into her at the mention of the boy, “She deserves way better than that freaking douchebag.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yes, Evie was in a relationship with Anthony motherfucking Tremaine and had been since just about the beginning of them being in high school, which was the primary reason as to why the couple hadn’t approached the girl with their request yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, Evie deserved so much better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As mentioned before, she was essentially all-around amazing. Her boyfriend, though, wasn’t. He was an absolute asshole, to put it lightly. He was athletic, admittedly pretty attractive, and averagely smart, but he was standoffish, selfish, competitive, prone to jealousy, possessive, sketchy, and overly aggressive, especially in sports.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was on the football team with Ben and he often got carried away and ended up hurting someone, whether a teammate or an opponent. Mal had almost charged him, if not for her friends holding her back, when he’d once nearly dislocated her boyfriend’s shoulder from a particularly rough tackle during a simple </span>
  <em>
    <span>practice</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Completely off the record, you’re right. She’s a wonderful girl and he’s just a little…” Belle commented in an almost secretive manner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Douchebag?” Mal helpfully supplied with an encouraging expression for the older woman, who simply chuckled and shook her head at the girl’s amusingly graceless and unabashed swearing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The second Anthony had injured their son, Belle and Adam had naturally decided they didn’t like him. However, since Adam was the principal and Belle was the librarian of their school, they had to remain professional and objective. As parents though, they weren’t ashamed to admit that they couldn’t stand the little asshole.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a little surprising though that he was such a jerk. His entire family was absolutely fine. His parents were lovely; he had an apparently sweet, little, five-year-old sister; and he had two cousins within his age range who were also great kids. So what went wrong with him?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I agree. Every single time I pass that girl in the halls or see her on Tuesday nights, she smiles brightly at me, greets me, asks me how I’m doing. Very few teenagers nowadays do that unprompted, no offence,” Adam added, “And every time I see him, he’s always got a scowl on his face and he clings to her as if he’s her personal bodyguard, which makes that poor girl’s smile go away. People should protect, not shelter, each other.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the professional way of saying that he’s possessive and overly jealous, right?” Mal rhetorically questioned, “You’re both right though. He doesn’t let any other guy get within five feet of her and he has this constant need to show everyone that they’re dating, even though it’s completely unnecessary at this point in their freaking two-year relationship.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway, how is the play going so far?” the principal asked curiously, avoiding having anything even more catty said than what had already been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice segue,” the blonde joked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s going really well,” Ben answered, all of them disregarding his girlfriend’s usual sarcastic remarks, “Miss FG’s awesome. She knows when to make executive decisions and when to let us students decide on things. She’s also really nice and obviously has some great ideas herself. I wish I had her as a teacher, but unfortunately, I don’t take drama or vocals. Maybe next year, if I can fit it into my schedule.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mal’s friend, Carlos, signed up for head choreographer, which is a real win. He’s legitimately the best dancer in the school. He’s been dancing basically since he was born and he’s trained in breakdancing, hip-hop, modern, jazz, tap, and ballet. His younger cousin, Diego, is gonna help him and us out too. He’s gonna be co-choreographer and a dancer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mal’s other friend, Jay, and his family and the Badun Brothers signed up to do set work and now so has Mal. Aziz, Jay’s older half-brother, wants to go into, like, design or something like that, so he’s gonna conceptualize and sketch everything out. Jay and Jade, his cousin, recently just won a team construction competition, so they’re gonna build the sets. Harry and Jace Badun know how to incorporate some tech tricks for cool effects into the sets. And then Mal’s the best artist I know, so she’s gonna paint them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My friend, Doug’s, gonna do sound and Clay Clayton’s gonna do lighting because, well, who else knows that stuff like they do? We still need at least one more person to help Jay’s other cousin, Jordan, out with wardrobe. And Dizzy Tremaine is gonna do hair and Freddie and Celia Facilier are gonna do makeup. And then all of the people auditioning, including Evie and Audrey.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then there’s just one more thing: the music. It’s all already written, recorded, and ready, but I just wish we knew the name of the anonymous composer of our songs. We’d credit them because they’re so awesome.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow! That’s a lot of talent! This is gonna be a great show!” Belle enthused, “Does Miss FG know the identity of your songwriter?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She does, but she’s respectfully keeping their name between herself and that person,” Ben answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wonder why that is. Who wouldn’t want their name on their brilliant work?” his mother pondered aloud.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, some people are scared their stuff will flop, so it could be a way to protect themselves. Or they’re too shy to put their real name out there. Or maybe they don’t care about the recognition themselves. They don’t want their name and reputation to be the centre of attention, just their work. Or they had to do it secretly for some personal reason,” Mal nonchalantly listed off some possibilities, which earned her some suspicious and curious looks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god, guys! Chill! It’s not me! I swear! Like I’d ever. I just watch a lot of TV and movies. Besides, my thing’s art, not really music. Cinderella isn’t even my style, even if it is a really great original version that my wonderful boyfriend wrote and is directing,” the blonde explained, adding the extra sweetness to ensure she didn’t accidentally insult her boyfriend and all of his hard work, “I just know the feeling. My mom has always hated that I wanna become an artist, so when I was younger, I used to use a fake name for my work until my dad took full custody of me and I stopped caring what she thought.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other three nodded in understanding, then Adam said, “Well, maybe this person will reveal their identity once the play’s over.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope,” Ben responded, “I’d love to give credit to whoever credit is due.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ohhh, look who’s getting into the spirit of Cinderella, my Prince Charming,” Mal flirted with her boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, aren’t I always Prince Charming?” the brown-haired boy played along.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm. 24/7,” the teenage girl sarcastically retorted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I got you to join the play,” Ben pointed out with playful arrogance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, that reminds me. I quit,” Mal joked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too late. Your commitment is legally bound now,” the athlete quipped, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Funny. I don’t remember signing any ‘legally binding’ contract yet,” the blonde continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Two witnesses,” Ben countered, motioning towards his parents.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who weren’t present on the scene at the time of the alleged confirmation,” Mal stated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mal,” the brown-haired boy sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kidding. Kidding, love. I’m kidding. I’m still gonna help you because you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> my Prince Charming,” the shorter teenager reassured her boyfriend, returning a kiss to his cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben grinned and hugged the girl, feeling even more excited to start really working on this play. He just hoped Evie would get in for whatever part she’s planning on auditioning for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They couldn’t wait to spend more time with their crush and to get to bond with her more deeply. They knew they were already falling for her, but maybe she’ll actually end up reciprocating their feelings towards both of them. Maybe she’ll finish things with her horrible boyfriend, so that they could have a chance to show her that she deserves so much more. Maybe they’ll finally be able to fulfil their incomplete relationship with the only girl they’d ever found and fallen for just as deeply as they’d fallen for each other.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So obviously the play in my story is going to be basically a live theatre version of the movie that Sof was in of the same title. So far, I don’t envision my story being too difficult to understand without having already seen the movie, but I would still recommend because Sof’s absolutely adorable in it.</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for reading</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Auditions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So the next, like, five chapters are gonna come out a lot faster than what I usually take just because they’re already written. I started writing this fanfic a while ago and just now decided to start publishing it. I’m currently just going through them all, proofreading and revising them.</p>
<p>After those first six chapters or so though (and this is something I complain about myself often in the author’s notes of my other fanfics too lol), you should probably expect a lot slower updates as I’m always in the process of writing something, but not always this story. I have this one, my Pitch Perfect story, and some other unpublished stuff, plus schoolwork. It just depends on my “writing mood,” I guess, and, of course, my free time lol.</p>
<p>I’ll try to update as often as possible, but I do not have a schedule or eta-type of thing or anything like that, which I apologize for, and I usually end up focusing a lot on one story, which just happened to be this one at the moment, for a while before moving on or going back to another. I can tell you though that my updates usually happen during long holidays, like Christmas Break, Summer Break, etc. for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>Anyway, hope you enjoy!</p>
<p>Trigger warnings: brief elements of toxic relationship.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ben stood with Miss FG on the school’s auditorium stage and watched as the play crew and auditionees filed in and sat down in their designated sections.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He immediately spotted Evie enter with her inner circle of best friends, Audrey, Lonnie, and Jane. They all sat together and chatted amongst themselves, looking a little nervous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He then looked up towards the back rows where all of the crew members were sitting and hanging out. He easily found his girlfriend, also staring at their crush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal’s eyes traveled upwards and met her significant other’s. They exchanged smiles, Ben’s excited and Mal’s reluctant, before her gaze returned to Evie. She planned on forever claiming that the boy forced her to participate in this foolishness. However, one look at Evie and her adorable, shy grin and she knew she was already starting to feel the gratitude.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, blondie! You guys keep staring at her and her dude’s gonna get a restraining order on you and personally go after him afterwards,” a familiar voice snagged her attention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde tore her eyes away from her crush and settled them onto a darker skinned girl who was waiting a couple rows in front of her for her to notice her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha!” Mal scoffed at the other girl’s remark, “Don’t you worry about that, Shrimpy. Ben could totally take that asshat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not saying he couldn’t. Just saying that it would happen. That guy’s gone after freaking </span>
  <em>
    <span>Doug</span>
  </em>
  <span> for exactly what you and Ben are doing right now,” the girl pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, relax, Uma. Anthony isn’t even here right now, so who gives a shit if we’re staring at his girlfriend? I know for a fact that nobody cares because everyone likes her and hates him…or are at least too scared of him to admit it,” the artist countered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Accurate,” Uma completely agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Contrary to what their words and the tones of their conversation and voices would imply, Mal and Uma actually really liked each other. They were best friends in fact. This was just how they spoke to each other about 97% of the time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides, Uma’s teasing was really just a warning for her best friend and her boyfriend. She didn’t want to see them get hurt by Anthony if he were to find out that they were staring at “his girl.” God forbid he find out that they had a crush on her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not that she and their friends would let him even get a chance. Anthony may be a powerhouse with a couple robust buddies who would back him up, but Mal and Ben had some pretty tough and reliable friends too while still being completely able to handle themselves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what are you even doing here?” the darker skinned teenager asked curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could ask you the same thing,” Mal returned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Harry and I lost a bet to Gil. You?” Uma responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m supporting my boyfr—” the blonde started only to be cut off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bull,” her best friend flatly interjected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m hanging out with Jay—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Try again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m appreciating our school’s fine arts—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“BAHAHAHA!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay. Even I wouldn’t believe that one either,” Mal chuckled, then finally gave in with a reluctant sigh after a couple seconds of being stared at expectantly with unwavering focus and determination, “Fine. I joined the play.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben?” Uma questioned with a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” the blonde admitted in shame, though there was a tiny hint in her tone that indicated that she was withholding some kind of information.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie?” the other girl knowingly asked as well, her smile growing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Mal mumbled, a little more reluctant to confess to that, but she didn’t even need to for her best friend to correctly assume she was right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whipped!” Uma remarked with a chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bitch. What was the bet?” the artist responded, then changed the subject in hopes of preventing any further embarrassment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That Ben wouldn’t be able to convince you to come,” the other teenager unabashedly revealed with a laugh, earning herself an eye-roll, “Harry and I said no. Gil told us this morning that we lost, so here we are.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bitch</span>
  <em>
    <span>es</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Mal corrected her previous statement, “What are you doing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, neither Harry or I would be really useful in wardrobe, which is the only crew spot left, so we talked to Ben earlier and he’s already made us ensemble members since neither of us want any of the actual roles,” Uma explained in a bored voice, “We still have to show up for auditions though for fairness and to prove to Miss FG that we really can dance, but we’re already guaranteed a part.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha! Sucks to be you. I just have to paint sets. Well, probably more, but I don’t have to be seen on stage,” the blonde mocked her best friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The darker skinned girl said nothing in response. She simply turned away from the other teenager and flipped her off as she made her way towards the seat her boyfriend, Harry, was saving for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright!” Ben exclaimed, clapping his hands together once, in order to grab the room’s attention as he started the auditions, “Thank you everyone for coming out today. It means so much that you all are interested in being a part of our play, A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits. So, I know you all must have read the terms on the audition signup sheet already, but I’m just gonna go ahead and explain how the auditions are gonna go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, how this is gonna work is there are three parts to your audition. We’ll start off each one with the singing portion with a song of your choice that you all have prepared beforehand. Then we’ll go through the dance portion, led or accompanied by our head choreographer here, Carlos, if needed. And finally, we’ll finish with a sight reading for the part you’re interested in. That is, of course, if your selected role has any lines, unlike someone who is auditioning for a backup dancer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that was my opening monologue. Heh. So, without further ado, good luck to everyone and let’s give a warm welcome to our first auditionee, Audrey Rose!”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The auditions were coming to a close and Mal couldn’t wait for them to end. However, she also couldn’t wait to watch Evie’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d never seen her perform before, but she would willingly bet her entire reserve of art supplies that her crush was one of the most talented people in the world. There was just something magnetic about her. It’s probably what drew herself and Ben in, in the first place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Miss FG’s daughter, Jane, finished her audition for the role of Fairy Godmother. Not that she was bad. Far from it. She was awesome. Mal just knew that the only person left now was Evie and she immediately perked up the second the brunette girl stood up (yes, her other best friend, Jay Jobrani, teased her for that).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, thank you all for the patience, but if we could please keep the great respect going for our last but certainly not least auditionee, Evie Grimhilde,” Miss FG announced as said girl shyly walked onto the stage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, Evie,” Ben started with his warm and charming smile upon his boyishly handsome face, pausing a little too long as he lost his train of thought while staring at his crush, “*Ahem* Uh, what, uh, what will you be singing for us today?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal couldn’t really blame him. If she had been in his shoes, she’d have done the exact same thing. She also couldn’t help but quietly chuckle to herself. This reminded her of when he’d first met her. He used to constantly forget what he was in the middle of saying when looking at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, well, I actually prepared Tessa’s audition, the acoustic version of Stuck on the Outside, for the show for, uh…this show, ha ha. It’s the last track, I believe, please and thank you,” Evie answered, smiling nervously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. Awesome!” Ben responded, genuinely impressed that she was going to sing one of the leads’ own songs and the version that was almost completely a cappella, “Good luck and whenever you’re ready.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The gorgeous girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she reopened her eyes she nodded towards Doug, who was patiently waiting to press play on her recording, and from her mouth came one of the most exquisite voices anyone in the room had ever heard, even just after the very first line.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Nobody ever wants to be alone</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ben’s lips parted ever so slightly in awe as he leaned forward on the table, fully immersed in Evie’s gorgeous voice. Mal had also perked up and was quite literally on the edge of her seat, watching the stunning performance.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Cause we all want a friend to call our own</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>While Ben and Mal were stuck in a trance listening to Evie sing, everyone else was silently appreciating her voice as well, surprised that they’d never heard her amazing singing until then.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>These days get mighty cold sometimes</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So I guess I’ll just make this wish and close my eyes</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone was surprised by the jaw-dropping voice, except for Evie’s best friends obviously and Miss FG, who looked like she was expecting this talent and looked almost as proud as when her own daughter was auditioning</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>There is no place that I won’t go</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Because for love, I will search high and I’ll search low.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>All things worth having takes a risk</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If I got one shot, I hope that I don’t miss</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And I’m wishing upon a star</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That I’ll find you wherever you are</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And I just know that special someone’s out there somewhere</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Evie belted that last note so perfectly, adding some beautifully accurate, growing vibrato as well, to end her singing audition and took a deep breath afterwards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked around at the faces staring back at her, trying to read their expressions. Her eyes moved on their own and seemed to be drawn towards two people in particular. Not any one of her best friends, not the woman who’d privately mentored her since she was in middle school, but towards the two people she was most anxious for feedback from, the student director of the play and his girlfriend aka her secret crushes for the past year and a half.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d first met them mainly through Carlos, who was her first friend and neighbour and one of Mal’s best friends’ boyfriend, and Audrey, who was her best friend and Ben’s first friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, she got to spend a tiny bit of time with them and got to know them a little better on her own through Ben’s parents’ youth organization and somewhat through common classes and she couldn’t help but fall for them both.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew about their relationship status and she would love to see what could happen between them all if they wanted her too, but she couldn’t. She was with Anthony and that wasn’t going to end any time soon, if ever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was also absolutely no cheater (not one for anything even related to infidelity), so going behind his back was completely out of the question.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All of a sudden, Ben stood and clapped for her with that grin of his that made anyone it was directed towards feel special, tearing her away from her thoughts. This prompted Miss FG to follow his lead and soon enough she was getting a standing ovation from the entire room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal was the only one left sitting, looking, dare she say, stunned. Evie couldn’t really bring herself to mind the fact because their gazes met for a brief moment and she saw something in her eyes and her face that conveyed more than any applause from her could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was more than just approval or appreciation. It was something else. Something akin to the way Ben was also looking at her. Something she couldn’t quite decipher, but she knew it was nothing but positive, as it always seemed to be with them when things regarded her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the audience settled down, Miss FG spoke since her student counterpart was still stupefied by the outstanding performance, “Thank you, Evie. That was lovely. Absolutely amazing! Truly. Bravo! Now for the next step, the dance audition. Will you be needing Carlos’s help?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He and I have actually prepared a very special duet that we’d like to present for you,” Evie answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that, Carlos eagerly jogged onto the stage, joining Evie but not without giving her a sincere and heartfelt compliment on her singing and a big hug before anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette girl was glad that she was going through this next part of the audition with Carlos. They were really close. As mentioned earlier, they were each other’s neighbours and very first friends. They had a great connection and great chemistry, which was imperative when dancing with a partner. He was like the little brother she never had and he felt the same way towards her. Not to mention, he was such a phenomenal dancer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you both ready?” Miss FG asked once Carlos was in place next to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both got into their starting positions then smiled in confirmation and the music began. The song was a mellow, alternative song with soft electric guitar playing and a relaxed drum beat. It was called Almost (Sweet Music) by the artist Hozier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their dance was a sweet duet that featured both of them and their abilities really well. There was a short slow-dancing sequence at the beginning, quite a bit of spinning, which Evie was great at, and they even added a bit of her signature Latin-style elements. There was some fancy footwork, a few little lifts, and Carlos even got to do a couple impressive moves that were really fun for him to execute.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was so natural, the way they were dancing together, pretty closely to each other, and were having fun with it while still trying their best to show off Evie’s talents.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two finished the dance audition with Carlos spinning with Evie in his arms, then both of them playfully sinking to the floor. The freckled boy even curled his legs up close to her head as the two of them smiled and laughed, while everyone cheered for them again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The duo stood up and shared another, quick hug, before Carlos jogged off the stage, still grinning. Evie was definitely his favourite dance partner. Absolutely no offence intended to his boyfriend, who was a great dancer too. He just couldn’t exactly dip and perform lifts with Jay with ease like he could with Evie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awesome job, guys! That was great! So good!” Ben enthused, “Now just for the final part of the audition, the sight reading part. And since no one else is auditioning for our leading lady, am I correct to assume that you—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The student director was cut off by one of the sets of auditorium doors slamming shut, the reverberating sound earning the attention of literally everyone in the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There stood Anthony Tremaine, not even seeming an ounce ashamed that he so loudly interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Most people subtly rolled their eyes at the rude indifference and ignorance of the blond boy and redirected their attention elsewhere, one of those people being Mal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes obviously returned to Evie, however when they did, the artist noticed that the other girl suddenly looked tenser, paler, and even more jittery than she was at the beginning of her audition. It would’ve been imperceptible had Mal not memorized her natural, relaxed state.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde girl frowned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Obviously, this shift in demeanour was caused by Anthony and it made her both sad and angry that the girl’s freaking </span>
  <em>
    <span>boyfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span> made her so clearly uncomfortable and nervous. So unhappy. So unlike what a person </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> make their significant other feel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Ben had turned to see who had walked in and he wanted to scowl at the other boy, but he was still Benjamin LeBon, so instead, he masked his discontent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony, hey. Sorry, if we’re keeping Evie up. We’re almost done here though if you wanna—” Ben attempted to be civil with his personal rival in front of everyone, but Anthony didn’t even return the effort nor did he seem to care.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie, come on! I’ve been waiting out in the parking lot forever! Let’s go!” the rude teenager demanded of his girlfriend, shoving the door open, which made her flinch a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I haven’t even finished my—” Evie tried to protest, her suddenly timid voice barely even travelling past the fourth row, only to be aggressively cut off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go!” Anthony ordered again, louder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony! Evie’s the last one up and she’s not done her audition yet. If you’ll please let us finish up in here, she’ll be out very soon,” Ben interjected, a little more forcefully, which made Mal smirk proudly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re more than welcome to sit and watch quietly, Mr. Tremaine,” Miss FG offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The football player scoffed mockingly and replied in a dry tone, “I’m good”—then addressed his girlfriend—“I’ll be outside. Five minutes. Or else I’m leaving without you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without another word, Anthony stormed out of the auditorium.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room immediately erupted into murmurs about how rude and ignorant it was of the blond boy to act that way and to treat his girlfriend in such a disrespectful manner, which only made Evie even more uncomfortable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Therefore, Mal decided to do something about it. She stood up on her chair and yelled over everyone else, “Everyone, SHUT UP!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben cringed and glanced back at his girlfriend and though he was genuinely grateful for the help, his voice exposed his embarrassment at the unabashed tactlessness of the blonde teenager when he called out to her, “Thank you, Mal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal, noticing the discomfort she’d caused for her significant other, smirked and replied with a cheeky air kiss before sitting back down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Christ, get a room, you two. No one wants to see this mushy crap,” Jay teasingly commented ever so gracefully, easily breaking the tension in the room and making everyone laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry about the disruption, Evie,” Ben said when the audience settled down once more as he scanned over the list of other people’s audition notes, “So, as I was saying, since you’re the last auditionee and no one else has tried out for the role of Tessa—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m auditioning for Georgie actually!” Evie suddenly blurted out, causing an eruption of perplexed muttering throughout the auditorium, especially from her unsuspecting best friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell?” Audrey questioned, turning to Lonnie and Jane in confusion, “That’s not right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not her role,” Lonnie added one the same tone, “She was going for Tessa.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This makes no sense,” Jane agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their best friend had been preparing intensely for the lead role for over a month. They had literally had to remind her to eat lunch sometimes because she would get so distracted reading any unknown material out loud in front of her in order to be prepared for the sight reading. She had practiced that acoustic version of Stuck on the Outside for the singing audition and rehearsed her duet with Carlos for the dance audition for the same amount of time and just as intensely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides all of that, Jane was already auditioning for the part of Georgie and Evie was the exact opposite type of person who would try to steal the role out from under one of her best friend’s in the entire world. From anyone, in fact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing was adding up here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben and Miss FG looked just as confused as everyone else, the latter if not, even more so.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The student director cleared his throat and spoke to the auditionee, “I’m sorry, Evie, if I’m making a mistake here, but we just assumed that you were trying out for—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m not!” Evie quickly interrupted, her cheeks immediately reddening, “Um, I’m-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…I’m not auditioning for Tessa. I-I’m auditioning for Georgie. I’m sorry to disappoint everyone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one’s disappointed in you, Evie,” Ben instantly reassured the girl, although he might’ve been inadvertently lying on behalf of some people who really wanted Evie to be Tessa, “I think we’re all just a bit confused.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s there to be confused about? I’m not auditioning for Tessa,” Evie insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you aren’t though, then we won’t even have an option for a female lead,” the student body president carefully pointed out, “Nobody else—Uh, I-I mean nobody seemed to have prepared to audition for the role of Tessa.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if anyone had, the girl was undeniably the lead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie averted her eyes as she shook her head and shrugged almost hopelessly. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie, are you absolutely sure about this?” Miss FG finally spoke up, trying to convey some kind of encouragement for the girl to remain confident with her original plan or some kind of reassurance that she’d been doing excellently so far.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie, however, could barely look her favourite teacher in the eyes as she refused to be persuaded. “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben and Miss FG shared disheartened expressions. The former then glanced back at his girlfriend to find the same upset confined only in her expressive eyes by a nearly perfected practice (“nearly” because he was one of the very few who could still catch it).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nevertheless, the two audition judges suppressed their saddened sighs and respected the girl’s decision, especially since they couldn’t force her to take the lead role.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright,” the student director declared, “Let’s go from the scene where Georgie is encouraging Tessa to keep with the play.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Later that night…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal was having supper at Ben’s house that evening and the two teenagers couldn’t help but rant about Evie’s audition from earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was so freaking amazing! It was obvious she was going for the lead role and she was totally gonna get it, running unopposed or not! So why the hell did she back out at the last second? She could’ve absolutely killed it!” Mal exclaimed as she stabbed her fork into a piece of lasagna.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe she herself didn’t think she did as well as you say she did. She’s a very humble girl,” Belle suggested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no way she could’ve thought that,” Ben denied, “She may be humble, but even the most modest person understands that a standing ovation means you did an awesome job.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, did you notice her change after Anthony burst in? She became all quiet and tense,” Mal questioned her boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony went to the auditions?” Adam asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. He straight-up stormed in and demanded Evie leave her audition so that he could leave too. He was like, ‘Come on! I’ve been waiting forever! Let’s go!’ And then, he even threatened to ditch her! Fucking leave her stranded at school! He was literally yelling at her!” the blonde girl recounted in an angry tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this something that needs to be addressed?” Ben’s father enquired in concern, slipping into his principal role.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think it’d fall under your jurisdiction, dad,” Ben sighed, “If it did, I’m sure you would’ve heard about it from Miss FG by now. I think this was a personal thing between them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just so not fair!” Mal complained, “She doesn’t get to do something that she really wants to do because what? Her jackass of a boyfriend won’t let her? No! That’s not right! That’s not how a healthy relationship works! She should be allowed to do whatever makes her happy and she should be supported by those she loves and who truly love her back!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, Mal, some people just think they deserve whatever life hands them and that often happens to the best people. And all we can do to help them is to show them that they deserve better. To try to </span>
  <em>
    <span>convince</span>
  </em>
  <span> them that they deserve better,” Belle advised the two teenagers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish it was that easy for Evie to see how much better she is than Anthony. And how much better off she’d be without him,” Mal said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And how much better she could be treated than how he treats her,” Ben added solemnly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m sure you two and her other friends try really hard, but it’s difficult to change a mindset when it’s been implanted in someone’s head for so long,” Adam stated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But we can always try,” his son replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course you can,” Belle affirmed with a soft smile, “So how do you think you can fix the whole issue about not having a female lead?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” Ben drawled, glancing hopefully at his girlfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, no. I’ve already said no and I’ve already told you my list of reasons why I’m not gonna audition for Tessa and that hasn’t changed,” Mal solidly refused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. It was worth a shot,” the boy sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The artist tilted her head and puckered her lips teasingly. “Don’t pout, my Prince Charming.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That easily put a grin on her boyfriend’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure you and Miss FG will figure out a solution,” Adam confidently reassured his obviously worried and stressed son.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hopefully. We’re holding a play meeting with all of the ‘department heads’ tomorrow at lunch to discuss this problem,” Ben informed, then pointed his fork at his girlfriend, “You have to go, by the way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait! What?” Mal exclaimed, nearly spitting up a mouthful of lasagna from her surprise, “I was last to join set design. Wouldn’t Jay or Aziz be ‘department head?’”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, technically you’re the only member of ‘set decoration,’ which makes you a ‘department head’ by default. Both Jay and Aziz will be there too for ‘set construction’ and ‘set design.’ Even Harry Badun will be there for ’set tech.’ It also means Carlos, Dizzy, Freddie, Jordan, Doug, and Clay at least will also all be there,” Ben explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? That’s absolute bull! Literally only half of that list of people should actually have to go,” Mal responded, annoyed that she was going to have to spend her lunch in this stupid play meeting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, Mal, we really just need as many heads as possible to think of something we can do. Whether it be another girl anyone knows who could audition or anyone from the cast we could switch and replace or something. We just need ideas and fast. Rehearsals and prep have to start soon,” Ben told the reluctant girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, fine, but you owe me some strawberries for the inconvenience,” Mal jokingly replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chocolate-covered,” Ben promised in the same tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two are the epitome of opposites attract,” Adam commented, making the others laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t stress too much, guys,” Belle advised the teenagers, “You’ll come up with something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About the play or about Evie?” Mal asked doubtfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Belle merely smiled with her warm, motherly smile in response before continuing with her meal and somehow, that was enough of an answer and a reassurance for them.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes, the dance is the dance that Cam (R.I.P. Forever greatly loved and greatly missed) did to that song’s music video. If u still haven’t seen it yet, want a refresher, or just want to enjoy it again after reading, here’s a link to a clip of just the dance: https://youtu.be/bTynjPVZb_4 </p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Second Chance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Trigger warnings: mentions of toxic relationship.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>The next day, at lunchtime…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Miss FG and Ben stood at the front of the drama room. Mal, Jay, Freddie, Dizzy, Aziz, Jordan, Doug, Clay, and even Jade, Diego, and Freddie’s little sister, Celia, occupied the room as well, all of them discussing some possible solutions to their dilemma.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about Audrey or Lonnie? They both had amazing auditions.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe Uma too. She’s a great dancer as well and she can definitely sing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any one of them would be great.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, they all killed it, but none of them exude the same level of sweetness and gentleness and innocence that Tessa has. Evie did.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And anyways, Uma doesn’t do ballet and she doesn’t even want a main role, let alone the lead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about Jane then? She’s one of the sweetest and most gentle and innocent people in this school and she’s just as talented as the others.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She is, but she’s already absolutely perfect for the role of Georgie. No one else would do the role justice like she could.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Besides, if we start switching around roles, we’d still need to find someone new. We don’t even have enough actors to replace the ones we would change. We literally have zero understudies as it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, so let’s start there then? Why doesn’t everyone try thinking of people outside of our current cast?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While the conversation was bouncing around the room, Mal leaned over towards Jay and asked, “Hey, where’s your boyfriend?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No idea,” Jay answered in genuine uncertainty as he stared down at his phone, “He said he’d be here when I saw him in second. He actually was the one who reminded me about this thing. I texted him at the beginning of lunch and all he said was that he was gonna be late because he’s working on something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Working on what?” Mal questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay donned a deadpan expression and he rhetorically asked, “If I knew, don’t you think I would’ve said, ‘working on ‘insert mysterious project here’’ instead of ‘something?’”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde’s mouth fell into a straight, unamused line and she retorted, “Hey, maybe he’s working on finding a new boyfriend. I would strongly recommend because his current one’s a complete asshat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Joke’s on you. The only hat I wear is my good, ol’ beanie,” Jay replied in an arrogant voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal furrowed her eyebrows at the weird and meaningless response and stared at her best friend, before letting out a confused laugh. “What the fuck?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The long-haired boy chuckled along and shrugged, also not sure where that came from. Sometimes, he just says the first thing that pops into his mind and it ends up confusing even himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All of a sudden, the discussion was interrupted by the classroom door opening swiftly and Carlos bursting in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, where’ve you been? I’ve been texting you since the beginning of lunch,” Jay immediately questioned his boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Clingy much,” Mal fake-coughed, which some acknowledged with some variation of laughter and others with an amused eye-roll and/or shake of their head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry I’m late, guys, but I swear, it was for good reason because I now have the perfect solution to our problem,” Carlos announced with his signature wide, wonder-filled grin, making everyone perk up in excitement and anticipation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The head choreographer moved aside to allow the person behind him to enter the room and everyone grew even more hopeful at the revelation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie! D-did you change your mind about being our Tessa?” Ben questioned, trying to keep his eager tone moderated even though he was very happy to see her and to see that she might accept the lead role in the end.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did,” Evie nervously declared, making the room collectively sigh in relief, “Wait! Guys, wait. I changed my mind about </span>
  <em>
    <span>auditioning</span>
  </em>
  <span> for Tessa. I’d like to re-audition for the role please. That’s the only way this second chance would be as fair as possible.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no way Evie wouldn’t get the part. For one thing, she was still competing unopposed. For another, she was great at the sight reading of Georgie yesterday, she just didn’t seem to quite have her heart in it, which was completely understandable. No matter what she said, everyone could tell she had decided to change her role at the last second and that Tessa was truly who she wanted to play.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! Yeah, of course! That’s not a problem at all!” Ben replied, “You’d only have to redo the sight reading audition, but with an excerpt of Tessa’s part this time, since you passed the other two already with flying colours.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. That’s fair, I suppose. Thank you,” the brunette agreed with a light blush at the sincere compliment from Ben.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While everyone was reassured that they’d have a lead now, Mal narrowed her eyes slightly in curiosity as to how Carlos was able to convince Evie to change her mind. Therefore, when everyone except for Ben and Miss FG were excused for the rest of lunch while they did the mini audition, the blonde pulled the boy aside and asked him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, gotta admit, I’m pretty curious about that too,” Jay agreed, “She was pretty determined to make it seem like she didn’t wanna be Tessa yesterday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos averted his eyes and mumbled, “Nothing. I just talked to her and convinced her to change her mind back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? ‘Los, come on. You’re a shitty liar. You obviously know something,” Mal claimed, not intending to be nosy but too concerned for her crush to let it go, “What did you say? What made her wanna change in the first place? Were Ben and I right? Was it something about Anthony?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mal, it’s really not any of our business and it’s kinda embarrassing for me,” the dancer replied uncomfortably.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Did that jackass say something about you? Because if he did, I swear I’ll hunt him down—” Jay threatened, growing protective over his boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. No. Jay, it’s not like that. Well, not really. It’s…”—Carlos sighed and his tone became quiet and secretive as he realized he wasn’t going to get away with telling them nothing if he didn’t want there to be some sort of rumble between them and the boy in question—“Yes, it had to do with Anthony.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apparently, when he barged into auditions yesterday, he saw how…</span>
  <em>
    <span>closely</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eves and I were dancing with each other and he didn’t like that. He was being his usual jealous and possessive self. He got mad at her later that day. Yelled at her about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never mind the fact that I’m gay, that I’m in a relationship with another dude, and that we’ve been dancing together since we were little with legit zero romantic feelings between us, ever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still, he said that he doesn’t want her being that close to other guys, so she switched to Georgie at the last second since she would be the only main female character with absolutely no romance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what’s best for Anthony is that then she would have almost nothing to do with Chad Charming, since he’s basically the only even slightly qualified guy who auditioned and is therefore unfortunately the front-runner for the role of Reed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not that Evie would ever even consider dating a guy like Chad. Although, I never thought she’d stay with a guy like Anthony. And I’ve said way too much already, so I’m just gonna say that I convinced her she’s completely okay wanting to be Tessa and basically that Anthony can go and fuck himself and now I’m just gonna shut up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus fuck,” Mal sighed, running a hand through her hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What a major dick,” Jay grumbled angrily, his arms crossed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup. Fucking hate that guy. I’ve known Evie basically my entire life and she’s one of the best people in the world. She deserves way better than either of them,” Carlos said, shaking his head in disappointment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal and Jay agreed undoubtedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, imagine if she got with you and Ben. No doubt you guys would treat her right,” the long-haired boy added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish, but as of right now, there’s nothing much we can do without looking like manipulative or cheating assholes,” Mal replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could kill Anthony,” Carlos suggested with a shrug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal and Jay scoffed out laughs and the former responded, “Damn, ‘Los, you must really hate him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never met anyone I’ve hated more. I’ve never even truly hated anyone, except him,” Carlos stated completely seriously with a dark expression, taking the two by surprise as there was no denying how honest yet uncharacteristically dour the youngest teenager was being in that moment, “Okay, obviously I was kidding about killing him, but he really is the worst person I’ve ever met.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You guys don’t know how bad he really is. You don’t even know half of what he does to Evie. I don’t even know everything, but what I do know makes me want him to just disappear forever.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, Carlos, what does he do?” Mal demanded, even more concerned for the girl now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, before Carlos could say anything else, even though he wasn’t planning on revealing anything more about the horrible relationship out of respect for his friend’s privacy, the door to the drama room opened and Ben, Evie, and Miss FG walked out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Evie. That was exceptional. You make sure to keep an eye out for the casting list. It’s going up tomorrow morning right when I get in and I can tell you you’re definitely going to be happy with the results,” Miss FG told the girl with a proud smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie returned a shy smile of her own to both audition judges, then walked over to Mal, Carlos, and Jay with Ben while Miss FG went off on her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, guys! So? How’d it go?” Carlos immediately questioned the two, avoiding having to answer any more of Mal’s questions, which did not go unnoticed by the girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nevertheless, she knew she couldn’t pursue the conversation when the subject was right in front of them. Instead, she filed a mental note somewhere in the back of her brain to interrogate him some more later, away from Evie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m not supposed to confirm nor deny anything until the official casting list is posted,” Ben answered certainly, “but in this case, since it’s so obvious that even Miss FG’s breaking that rule, she’s definitely our Tessa.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s great! I knew you’d kill it! That’s awesome! Nice job! Never had a doubt!” Carlos, Jay, and Mal cheered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys,” Evie replied with a blush, “I kinda feel bad though. I don’t think you all would’ve done this for just anyone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But that’s the point,” Ben gently yet boldly responded, “You’re not just anyone, Evie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should’ve heard everyone in there before you guys arrived. No one knew what to do because no one fit the role as perfectly as you do,” Mal added, “You’re crazy talented and you’re sweet and lovable and adorable, just like her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re our Cinderella, Evie. No one else,” the student body president declared in such a sincere tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All of the compliments she was receiving, from her crushes no less, made Evie’s blush deepen quite a bit and of course, Mal and Ben found it absolutely endearing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay, on the other hand, found the situation to be very amusing and he couldn’t help but comment with a teasing smirk, “I, uh, I think you meant to say that she’s our </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tessa</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Am I right, my man?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was now Ben’s turn to blush as he began to awkwardly stutter once realizing his little word blunder, which made the other two boys laugh. Meanwhile, Mal socked her best friend in the arm as playful revenge for ribbing her boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what he said,” the blonde defended her significant other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhhhhmmmm,” Jay jokingly hummed in false reflection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s. What. He. Said,” Mal repeated more severely, though with a poorly concealed smile that was slowly beginning to expose itself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right,” Jay drawled, deciding to let this one slip go, “Okay, are we gonna just stand here like dumbasses, blocking up half of the hallway, and waste the rest of our lunch period or are we actually gonna feed ourselves? Now, just letting everyone know it’s Taco Tuesday in the caf.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The others laughed and Evie replied, “You guys go on. I have to go meet up with Audrey, Lonnie, and Jane. We’re lunching at Starbucks today and they’re waiting on me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal and Ben deflated at that, but tried not to let it get to them. She did have her own little circle of best friends just like either of them did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, but we’ll see you tomorrow night, right?” Mal asked as Carlos and Jay already started strolling towards the cafeteria before herself and Ben.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course! Don’t forget the classes we also have together the rest of today and tomorrow”—</span>
  <em>
    <span>I definitely never do</span>
  </em>
  <span>—“I’ll see you then,” the brunette confirmed, then waved as she parted ways with the other four.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben walked up behind Mal and wrapped his arms over her shoulders and whispered in her ear, “Hey. Maybe someday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The petite girl sighed and agreed, “Maybe someday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She then looked up at her boyfriend and pecked him on the cheek and said, “Okay, come on. You know the boys don’t have the patience to keep walking slowly enough for us to catch up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They do love their tacos,” Ben mused as he let his girlfriend go, only to take her hand in his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They do love their </span>
  <em>
    <span>food</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Mal corrected as they began following after the other couple, who was already halfway down the hall and hollering at them to hurry up and that the line was almost down to only three people.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very true,” the football player chuckled as they both shook their heads in amusement and then jogged over to join the two boys, hands clasped, fingers interlaced, and minds filled with dreams of finally being a complete throuple with their very own Cinderella.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow. I didn’t realize this chapter was so short until I copied it onto Google Docs lol (I write using iPhone notes so that I can easily write anywhere) (it was only five pages lol). It’s because this chapter used to be the first part of one bigger chapter, but I thought it was too big. So I divided it into two and this moment in this scene just seemed like the best place to end the chapter so that it still has a decent pause and setup for the next while keeping a good enough flow for both. I know it could’ve been better, but anywhere else and I think it wouldn’t have worked as well. But that’s just my opinion lol.</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Lunchtime Discussions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger warnings: elements and mentions of toxic relationship.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ! With how long you guys took, you each better have gotten a kiss goodbye from your little </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cinderella</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Jay teased Mal and Ben once they finally caught up to himself and Carlos at the tail end of the cafeteria line, which earned him another punch to the arm by his short friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kiss my ass,” Mal responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah, I’m good. You’re not my type,” the long-haired boy retorted as the group finally selected their lunch and purchased their food.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, one of these days, I’m gonna drop your annoying ass so freaking fast your beanie’s gonna fly off in my wake,” Mal stated as her group joined some of their other friends at a lunch table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, you’re finally coming to your senses, huh?” Uma commented as her blonde best friend sat down in front of her, with Ben to her left then Jay and Carlos, who were now across from Gil, who was beside Harry and Uma, “So when’s our long-awaited breakup with this moron?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As soon as possible please?” Mal answered, “I think I’m speaking for us both when I say we were better off just you and me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Preach, girl,” Uma easily agreed, though obviously not sincerely meaning it, “Back to the good ol’ days. Go girl power!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here here!” Mal cheered along, both girls jokingly raising their bottles of juice in a toasting manner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s too late for that, Umal. You’ve been with me for too long. We’ve become platonic soulmates. We’ve become Jumal. We have a name now. That’s a bond that’s impossible to be broken. You’re never getting rid of me,” Jay finally joined in on the teasing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He can’t possibly be right, can he?” Uma uttered to Mal in false horror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘Fraid so, Uma. Except for that weird-ass name bullshit”—</span>
  <em>
    <span>Where did he even come up with that?</span>
  </em>
  <span>—“his words are unfortunately yet entirely true. We’re stuck with him. We’ve absolutely fucked up our lives,” the blonde replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you mean you’ve ‘absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>lucked</span>
  </em>
  <span> up your lives?’” the long-haired boy teasingly corrected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make any sense, babe,” Carlos corrected his boyfriend in passing before taking a sip of his juice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a saying,” Jay defended himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm, not a real one,” the freckled boy replied without missing a beat, but adding a pat to the older boy’s shoulder as a sign of goodwill.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay, please. If we really ‘lucked up our lives,’ we wouldn’t be dealing with as much crap as we do,” the darker skinned girl complained, then quickly clarified what she was alluding to, “I’m not just talking about you, Jay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, like, in the general world sense, like homework and school. Some of us have part-time jobs so that we have at least a little bit of money to try to actually have fun in life. Plus, extracurriculars, like you guys’ sports and this play thing, and also stuff for free time, so in Mal and Ben’s case, their pretty, little, lost princess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure you should be calling anyone little, Shrimpy?” Mal asked the 5’3” girl in jest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure you should be calling me out on it, Pixie?” Uma fired back at the 5’2” girl in the same tone, making both of them smirk in amusement and simultaneously flip each other off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, ladies. Let’s break it up,” Ben chuckled as he and Harry, who didn’t even need to look up from his food to do so, took their respective girlfriend’s hand into their own in order to cease the middle finger war.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He then informed the three who hadn’t been present for the earlier lunchtime discussion, “Actually, Carlos fixed the play problem. He convinced Evie to re-audition for Tessa and she obviously nailed it again. She’s definitely getting it, so we definitely have a lead now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn, De Vil. Nice. How’d you do it?” Harry questioned curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve been friends forever. I know her sometimes better than she knows herself. I knew what to say to convince her,” Carlos replied in a much briefer and more discreet manner than when this question had just been answered to his boyfriend and one of Evie’s crushes (Yes, he knew about that. He had already had a sneaking suspicion and she’d reluctantly confirmed it when he’d once relentlessly questioned her about it).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about the princess problem? Can you fix that one, Pup? Play a little matchmaker?” Jay asked, purposely changing the subject, which his boyfriend was grateful for, “You are legit the most likely to be able to since you’re basically the social bridge between us backstagers and her and the other stars.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’re you talking about? You’re basically work-out buddies with Lonnie. And Ben’s close with Audrey,” Carlos pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but you’re even closer with Evie. You guys are neighbours and still talk multiple times every single day and about deep shit and whatever. You and your moms legit have been having weekly dinners all together for forever. Plus, you’re friends with Jane, so you win the title of official social bridge,” the tanner boy reasoned, lightly clapping his hand onto the freckled boy’s back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos chuckled and shook his head in amusement and adoration at his boyfriend’s antics. “You’re ridiculous.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay wore his signature charming grin and replied as he pecked his boyfriend on the cheek, “And yet you’re the one who ever said yes to a first date. And a second. And a third and a fourth and a—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway, lovebirds!” Uma interjected in playful impatience, “Got a plan for these two hopeless romantics, De Vil?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not hopeless romantics!” Mal protested indignantly, “Also, you guys are always very presumptuous about this whole thing, assuming she’d wanna be with both of us or even either of us if she were single.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos bit his tongue whenever the couple talked about the possibility of Evie not returning their feelings. He may disclose some things to them, Jay, and Audrey (although usually they know about the same) specifically, but he’d never ever spill everything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guys, we’ve talked about this,” Ben supported his girlfriend, “Mal’s right and we can’t do anything anyway. She’s taken.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Taken by a psychotic football player with major anger issues who doesn’t deserve her and who she should break up with ASAP so that she can be with someone or </span>
  <em>
    <span>some people</span>
  </em>
  <span> who actually care about her,” Uma commented the perfect and most common summary of the relationship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speak of the devil,” Harry said, eyes pointing towards a pair of the cafeteria doors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right then and there, in strolled Anthony Tremaine and his right hand man, Ray Beech, and his stupidly loyal and tragically dimwitted followers, Luke Williams and Robbie Valentino.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group of boys walked around the cafeteria, everyone who was in their way simply getting out of it for fear of becoming their unfortunate “target of the period.” They arrogantly knew they could do this without a worry for resistance as they were all well-built and intimidating athletes who weren’t afraid of, liked even, a little fight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They think they fucking own this school just because they scare like half of it shitless,” Carlos criticized the bullies, scowling at them from the corners of his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please. They’re pathetic. Respect is way stronger than fear,” Jay dismissively stated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s easy for you to say, Jay. You can handle any one of them. A kid like, say, Doug or Jace Badun has every right to be scared shitless,” Mal pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about a girl like Evie?” Gil asked, finally breaking his unyielding focus on his tacos and contributing to the conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every set of eyes shot towards the blond boy, all widened in shock at the audacious and contentious question. Although, true to his fair simplemindedness, Gil did have a tendency to spare no forethought and to have no filter for his words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What exactly do you mean by that, Gil?” Mal demanded a bit defensively, feeling slightly offended on behalf of the girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, she had to remind herself that the boy was not the sharpest knife in the drawer and often didn’t fully understand situations, which wasn’t his fault. This didn’t give him the right to say such things so carelessly though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing bad. Swear. I really like Evie. She’s awesome! I just mean maybe that’s why she’s still with him? Maybe she’s too scared of him to dump him,” Gil nonchalantly proposed with a shrug, then returned to chomping down on his lunch, not noticing or maybe even realizing the gravity of his suggestion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, that’s not completely unreasonable—” Harry slowly agreed as he contemplated the possibility, only to be cut off by a loud scoff from a very distraught Carlos.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is not a conversation I’m gonna participate in and it’s not one you guys should even be having, so fucking drop it,” the freckled boy sharply ordered in a very terse tone as he began gathering the remains of his lunch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, Pup, calm down, man! Thought you hated the guy and agreed Evie deserves better?” Jay said, all of them surprised by the harsh words from the normally wonder-filled teenager.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> hate Anthony and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> Evie deserves better, but talking about this kind of shit, especially behind her back, is crossing a line. It’s Evie’s business, not any of ours,” Carlos replied severely as he stood up and began taking his tray towards the garbage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Carlos! Come on! You don’t have to leave! We’ll drop it!” Jay offered as he too stood up, intending to follow his boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“De Vil!” a new voice suddenly called to the boy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos took a deep, calming breath, recognizing the voice, and tensely turned towards the source. “What do you want, Anthony?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wanna know where my girlfriend is. Haven’t been able to find her since this morning,” the blond boy curtly responded, wanting the interaction with the, in his opinion, pest to be as short and direct as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s with her friends, Anthony. She has her own life, you know? Believe it or not, but her world doesn’t revolve around you and you only,” Carlos replied in a biting tone, only ever feeling annoyance towards the football player rather than the expected terror for a boy who was almost half the older one’s size.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he opened his mouth to most likely spit out a threat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, Jay cut him off before he got the chance as he grabbed his lunch tray and went to stand next to his boyfriend, along with the rest of their friends. Even Gil, who was hurriedly shoving the rest of his last taco into his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, nice running into you, Tremaine, but we’re out. Beat you—I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> you on the field!” the long-haired boy said, purposely diverting some of Anthony’s anger towards himself to distract him a bit from Carlos’s attitude, as he led the others away from the group of boys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once in the hallway after having tossed their garbage, Jay lightly slapped his boyfriend upside the back of his head, not hard enough to hurt too much but hard enough to get his full attention. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude! What the fuck? You can’t talk to a guy like Anthony Tremaine like that!” he scolded the youngest teenager.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? Because I’m not as brawny as you?” Carlos demanded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah!” Jay honestly and shamelessly answered, “That guy could snap you like a fucking twig and we all know he’d have zero problem doing it. He’d actually probably love to do it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First of all, no, he couldn’t. I’m too fast for even most of you football guys to get a chance and it’s not like I’m a fucking weak and helpless little boy,” the freckled boy argued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know that! That’s not what I meant—” Jay tried to defend himself only to be interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Second of all, I say whatever the fuck I want to that asshole. I’ve been doing it for over a year now and he’s never laid a finger on me, even though, yes, he probably could’ve done some serious damage by now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He probably just hasn’t because of Evie. Believe it or not, but she actually does stand up to him sometimes and she doesn’t let him cross certain lines. He probably knows that if he did even try to hurt me, Evie would give him shit for it,” Carlos added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So would I,” the long-haired boy said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you would,” the shorter teenager responded with a grateful kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, what the fuck? Is that how all of your fights go?” Uma questioned incredulously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kinda, yeah. I guess. I wouldn’t even really call this a fight, but whatever. Why? How do yours go?” Carlos asked as Jay slung an arm over his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Usually, they end in private quarters and with everything </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> forgotten, mate,” Harry answered with a sly smirk and a suggestive wink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Harry! Dude! Oh my god! TMI, man!” the group protested at the innuendo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leave it to Harry Hook to have zero shame about oversharing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You asked!” the boy nevertheless defended himself with a cackle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Way to go, Carlos!” Mal jokingly scolded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good job, man!” Jay added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice going, De Vil!” Uma piled on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, so now this is my fault?” Carlos demanded, earning only playfully positive answers, “Fuck, I need new friends. And a new boyfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Called it!” Mal yelled with a laugh, the need to dodge one of Jay’s fists aiming for her arm not at all discouraging her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck all the way off!” the tanner skinned boy shouted back, “Take your boyfriend and get the fuck to class, asshole!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d tell you to do the same, but you apparently don’t have one anymore!” the blonde girl retorted as she made a quick escape, dragging Ben and Uma along with her down a different hallway from Carlos, Jay, Harry, and Gil, just in time to not hear the response to her comment.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Meanwhile…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey parked her car in the Starbucks parking lot. She, Evie, Lonnie, and Jane then exited the car and immediately began a conversation, which hadn’t yet started as the girls had preferred to jam out to music during the car ride instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Eve, how’d the callback go?” Lonnie asked as they all entered the café and joined the short lineup.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t exactly a callback I think. Besides, that makes it sound so high profile and professional,” Evie giggled, “But it went really well I think. Both Miss FG and Ben seemed really confident that I’d get the role.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yeah!” the Chinese teenager exclaimed, “Girl, not only were you the only person who auditioned for Tessa, but you’re obviously the best fit and you’re literally just…the best! Even if you did have competition, you’d have no competition.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not true. What if one of you guys had auditioned for Tessa?” Evie theoretically suggested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, then you’d totally be done for. Sorry ‘bout it,” Audrey jokingly stated, making her friends laugh, “Seriously though, when we all decided which roles to audition for together, Lon, Jane, and I didn’t step back for you to take the lead role, Eves. Promise. We genuinely loved and connected to the characters we picked right away and you really are the perfect person to be Tessa. Just like the title says, ‘if the shoe fits.’”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys,” Evie responded with a light blush, “And I’m so glad you didn’t get mad at me for saying I was auditioning for your role, Jane. I really am sorry. I just kinda panicked and yours was just the first one that popped into my head.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She really had the best friends she could ever ask for. And yet, here she was partially lying to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, Eve. I know you didn’t mean anything two-faced by it. We all get nerves and all of us do unpredictable stuff without thinking about it because of them,” Jane replied with a shrug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey subtly side-eyed Evie at that, only to be ignored by her best friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She and she could only guess Carlos too were the only people Evie had told the truth to about why she’d done what she had at auditions. Audrey hated lying to and keeping secrets from her other two best friends, but she also didn’t want to expose Evie on such a personal and private level nor to break her trust.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m still sorry and I’m so grateful you’re not mad,” the new female lead said as she hugged her slightly shorter friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“While we’re still on the subject of the callback, what did Ben and his friends think?” Audrey asked with a slight teasing smirk, emphasizing “Ben” ever-so-slightly, which made the other girls grin cheekily as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie flushed a bit and answered while biting her lip softly, “Um, I mean, Ben thought I did great and his friends congratulated me already, but they hadn’t been in the room during the audition.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? Not even Mal?” Audrey pressed on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Lon, Jane, would you mind getting our orders for Aud and me? We can go save a table for all of us. The four-chair window seats are filling up pretty fast,” Evie requested as she handed Jane enough money for both hers and the other girl’s orders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure,” Lonnie responded, thankfully sparing her friend from any further embarrassment, “Your regulars?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes please! Thanks!” Evie quickly replied before pulling her best friend towards a table and giving her a </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Really?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? I was genuinely curious! And it’s not like Lon and Jane don’t already know,” Audrey defended herself, reading the exasperated expression like a book.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I regret telling you guys about my crushes on them,” Evie pouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I still don’t understand why you haven’t taken your shot with them. We all know about their relationship status and my very reliable, anonymous source has hinted at the fact that they like you back,” the darker skinned girl said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is your ‘very reliable, anonymous source’ Carlos?” Evie guessed, already knowing she was most likely correct.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Irrelevant,” Audrey dismissed the suspicion, even though it was completely true, “You’re missing the point here, babes. Mal and Ben both probably like you back! Why wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity to join their relationship?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I’m with Anthony,” Evie replied with an exhausted sigh from having to repeat herself so often, “Okay, Audrey? I love him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey let out a sigh of her own, however hers was more sad than frustrated. She didn’t mean to push and she was by no means encouraging her best friend to cheat on her significant other nor was she trying to pressure her into dumping her boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could just tell—she just knew—that Mal and Ben were more perfect for Evie than anyone else could be and that they were what Evie truly deserved, not her current jackass of a boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What saddened Audrey even more was that Evie really believed she loved Anthony and she totally had. They’d all liked him. Once.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first, Anthony Tremaine had seemed like a great guy. He had seemed truly interested in Evie and he had been very charming and their first few dates had gone really well according to Evie. They really seemed like the perfect high school sweethearts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That time, however, had quickly come to an end.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shortly after they’d become an official couple, his true colours began to show. His more aggressive, angry, controlling, manipulative, and dark side revealed itself. The longer they stayed together, the shorter his fuse seemed to become and the more docile and fearful her best friend grew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nevertheless, Evie seemed to believe love for Anthony still lingered within her and she refused to part from the football player and to help herself nor to allow herself to be helped—not from her, not from Mal and Ben, not from Carlos, not even from her own mother—to become more of a…well, more of a person in her relationship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It made Audrey sad. Angry, confused, frustrated, and worried too, but mainly sad. That Evie had to endure such a toxic relationship. That she wasn’t with someone who truly deserved her and treated her properly. That this horrible guy had turned her amazing best friend into such a tormented girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If she could do it without any consequences, Audrey would get rid of him in any way she could think of, legally or not to be perfectly honest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eve,” Audrey began in a soft voice as she gently took the other girl’s hands into her own, “Do you really? Do you really still love him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie stared into her best friend’s eyes and mustered up the courage to answer as convincingly as she could, “I…Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That answer was all Audrey needed for her to know that Evie was lying, so she decided that she would not give up on her goal for Balvie to happen. However, she knew when to stop and with how upset Evie was beginning to get and how Lonnie and Jane were being handed their food and drinks right then, she relented for the moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll drop this for now because I can tell you need a break, but just know that I’m totally not done with this conversation,” Audrey said, “Babes, I just want what’s best for you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, let me tell you a quote I’ve seen on Insta a couple times: ‘If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.’ Or maybe in your case, </span>
  <em>
    <span>seconds</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aud, I don’t love Mal or Ben. I barely even know them,” Evie replied, purposely avoiding acknowledging the true meaning of the quote.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not the point,” Audrey stated, which she knew that Evie knew already, as she released her hands then grinned at Lonnie and Jane as they sat down in front of the other two girls and placed all of their stuff onto the table, “Thanks, babes!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No worries,” Lonnie replied as they all began eating, “So, Aud, you excited about getting to work with Aziz during the play?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah! I’m really looking forward to it. This will be the first thing we actually have in common except for some classes and friends. I’m really hoping we’ll get some time to talk because he is so cute and I’d love to get to know him better,” Audrey replied, not only expressing her genuine excitement about her own crush, but also giving hints of advice to Evie about hers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl, however, was too distracted to be paying attention to the conversation as she was mentally going over and over the other conversation she’d had with just Audrey instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew she didn’t love Mal or Ben yet. She wasn’t the type to fall that deeply that easily. They did really intrigue her though and she’ll admit she was attracted to them. Okay, so she had crushes on them and she definitely wanted to get to know them both better, which this play would possibly allow. Maybe that could even finally break the barriers between them during their common classes and Tuesday nights and maybe she was a little happy about the idea of that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She also knew she didn’t really love Anthony. Of course not. She completely realized how he treated her and she hated it and she hated being with him. She regretted ever having started dating him in the first place and she knew that what he was doing to her was wrong. She’d be painfully imperceptive not to be able to acknowledge this to herself, which she also knew some people in the same situation as her unfortunately couldn’t or wouldn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, she couldn’t break up with him. That wasn’t even an option for her. She could only wonder if it ever would be and if so, would she be able to bring herself to finally do it?</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Crazy, right? Two updates in one night! No, it’s just because, as I had said in one of the author’s notes in the last chapter, these last two chapters were going to be one, but I decided to divide it into two, so I thought may as well just post both of them since they’re ready. Just realized though that it could’ve totally just stayed as one long chapter. It would’ve been around 6k words, which isn’t excessively long in my opinion, but oh well. Whatever lol.</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Meet the Cast & Crew</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger warnings: elements and mentions of toxic relationship.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>The next morning…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben woke up extra early, even more so than his parents, and all but sprinted out the door to get to school. He was so excited he forgot to eat breakfast or even take something to go. Call him overly eager, he didn’t care because this was the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Miss FG was posting the casting list for A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits first thing this morning and though their first rehearsal wasn’t until Thursday, there was going to be a meeting at lunch (optional but strongly encouraged. Knowing this group though, everyone will </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be there. Well, maybe except for Mal) for everyone to introduce themselves to each other and get to know one another if they haven’t already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sure, he was one of the judges who had decided who passed the auditions and who was playing whom, so he already knew what the list would say, but still, he wanted to be there when FG pinned the paper up on the board. It felt like his duty as writer and student director to at least try to be there for every moment of this production.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben walked through the main entrance and hung an immediate right. He went down a few more hallways, all of them expectedly empty, to get to his locker, then made his way towards the auditorium.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now imagine his surprise when, at 7:20 am for a school that started an hour later, there was another human being, a student at that, already waiting outside the school theatre.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And to add to his surprise but also delight, it was Evie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie?” Ben greeted the girl in confusion, who immediately looked up from her phone and to him, “S-sorry! Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, it-it’s completely okay. I’m kinda always like that, especially when I’m only like half awake,” Evie replied, seeming a little bit flustered, before she blushed once she realized what she’d just humiliatingly revealed, “I-I-I mean—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben chuckled good-naturedly and reassured the girl, “Hey, no need to feel embarrassed or nervous in front of me of all people, Evie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie scoffed light-heartedly and retorted, “‘You of all people?’ Ben, you’re literally like…the king of this school. It’s hard not to be nervous around you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy flushed and responded, “Aha, uh, well, I, uh, I-I wouldn’t necessarily say the king—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, you’re the student body president, captain of two varsity sports teams, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> director of the school’s play. Not to mention your dad’s the principal and your mom’s the librarian,” Evie pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and said, “Y-yeah, I guess when you put it that way, maybe? I don’t know. I don’t ever think about my…standings in the social hierarchy of high school or that kind of stuff when I do the things I do. I just”—he shrugged—“do them because I want to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie gave him one of her heart-stopping, warm smiles and replied without missing a beat, “And that’s one of the things I admire most about you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben flushed again, then cleared his throat and changed the subject, “Uh, what are you doing here so early anyway?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same reason as you, I’m guessing? The casting list goes up as soon as Miss FG gets here,” Evie answered, gesturing towards the announcement board outside the main auditorium entrance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha—Evie, you’ve gotta know that you hands down got the part. No question! You’re freaking amazing!” Ben said with a tone of incredulity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d never admit it, but the singer was very thankful towards the boy for not mentioning the fact that there were no other candidates. She knew her friends used it as a supporting fact to assure her of her success in her audition, but it also made her feel a little less deserving of it. As if it were less so her hard work, effort, and abilities that got her the role and more so that they had no other option.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew they’d never say or imply that, but it was just wherein her relentlessly doubtful mind nonetheless carried her away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you. I really appreciate that. I do. I just…I know all of you have told me that the role is mine already, but…Okay, I know this is stupid, especially since it’s just a high school play, but—Oh my god! I’m so sorry! That so didn’t come out the way I meant! I didn’t mean to offend you! It really is an amazing story and such an interesting idea and you’re such a great writer, Ben! Please don’t misinterpret that previous statement.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben merely chuckled again at the adorable rambling and reassured his crush that he understood her intent and that there were no hurt feelings.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, good! Again, I’m so sorry. Um, right. So what I was trying to say before was, there’s just something about watching the list go up and seeing my name aligned with the role I tried so hard to get. I feel like it’s gonna make it feel so much more real and, I don’t know, official. So I just—I wanted to be here to watch the list be posted and I wanted to be one of the firsts to see it,” Evie confessed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben’s expression softened and he smiled gently and responded, “Evie, that’s not stupid. It’s cute—uh, c-c-commendable! Yeah! Your, uh, your modesty and your”—he managed to recompose himself fast enough as he genuinely searched for the proper word he wanted—“your authenticity.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben just seemed to know exactly what to say to Evie right then. Her boyfriend hadn’t been nearly as sweet when she’d told him about her idea to come in early. In fact, he’s the one who’d called her stupid for wanting to do this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie blushed as she tried to contain a smitten grin and shyly asked, “You think I’m authentic?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>And cute?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s one of the things I admire most about you,” Ben replied with a cheeky (and okay, maybe slightly flirty) smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time, Evie couldn’t help her grin at all, so she bashfully turned her head away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, so I didn’t see your car in the parking lot,” Ben pointed out curiously, not wanting the interaction to end so soon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah. It’s getting fixed right now. I, uh, I got into a small car accident this past weekend,” Evie awkwardly revealed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. That sucks. Can I ask what happened? Obviously, you didn’t get hurt too badly, which is a huge relief,” Ben said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, drunk driver. Hit the passenger side. Completely destroyed that entire area where the back wheel is,” the girl vaguely recounted, “Um, but yeah, so Anthony’s been driving me to and from school while it’s getting fixed. That’s why he was waiting for me yesterday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. That’s nice. That’s really cool of him,” Ben commented in a slightly tense tone, clenching his jaw tightly to avoid making an unpleasant face or remark at the mention of Anthony.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Yeah, he’s a great boyfriend,” Evie agreed, not able to deliberately lie while looking into Ben’s eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben nodded awkwardly, but there was something weird about her story. It seemed almost…rehearsed and formulated to be as nondescript as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nevertheless, it wasn’t his place to call her out on it and question her, so he instead just asked, “So is he around here somewhere or something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just what he’d need at 7:25 in the morning was a raging Anthony Tremaine going at him in a crazed fury for talking to his girlfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, um, no. He wasn’t able”—</span>
  <em>
    <span>willing</span>
  </em>
  <span>—“to drive me this morning. He’d had a late night last night, so it would’ve been way too early for him,” Evie partially lied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben nodded again, even though he knew he would’ve been more than happy to bring Evie to school this early. That just meant more time with the gorgeous girl Anthony was lucky enough to call his significant other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hell, he’d done that for Mal, except the opposite. He’d, on multiple occasions, woken up at around 2:00/3:00 in the morning to pick his girlfriend up after a night of drunken partying or other, mostly innocent, shenanigans with Jay and Uma.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He truly didn’t mind. He’d much rather she call him than try to drive or even walk home, not that she ever would do something so reckless and irresponsible, no matter how drunk she was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Mal’s done the same for him, like staying behind during his sports practices when his parents need both vehicles and, well, agreeing to take part in this play.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he knew Mal would do this—anything—for Evie too. The disappointing fact was that Evie’s actual significant other evidently wouldn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see. So then, did Audrey or Lonnie bring you?” Ben asked, knowing either of her best friends would be willing to accommodate the girl (Jane would be too if she had her full license and an available car).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. You guys live pretty well on the other side of town from where I do, so I didn’t wanna inconvenience them,” Evie replied, “I walked, but obviously, I overestimated how much time it would take me and I accidentally left way too early. Especially considering Jane and her mom are still gonna be another like two minutes or so and I’ve been here since 7:10.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“7:10? Holy crap, Evie! Don’t you live near Mal on Lost Isle Avenue? That’s like, at least, a forty-five-minute walk! You must’ve woken up at like 6:00! Are you tired?” Ben immediately began fretting over the girl, “Had I known any of this, I would’ve picked you up, no question. No matter what time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie couldn’t help but smile a little sadly, knowing that that scenario, with an added bonus of Mal being there too, was merely a dream and her reality was much more underwhelming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re really sweet, Ben, but it’s okay. I like walking. It’s not a big deal,” the singer reassured one of her secret crushes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’m serious, Evie. I know we haven’t really hung out outside of school and Tuesday nights, so this might be kinda weird, but I would be more than happy to drive you to and from school for stuff like this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With how early you must’ve left, sooner or later, if you have to do it again, it’ll be dark when you’re walking and I don’t want you out and alone then. Besides, that’s a long walk for you and anyway, you live close to Mal, so I’d mostly know where to go. Also, both Mal and I just really like you, Evie. Like, um, hanging out with you and stuff,” Ben insisted, “Look, what I’m trying to say is I’d just rather wake up early to drive you than let anything happen to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie didn’t like it, but she was close to tears. She was admittedly and pathetically so used to the boys in her life, except for Carlos, not really giving a single shit about her nor her wellbeing. Anthony and his friends were usually only interested in keeping her out of other guys’ reach and in Anthony’s. It was so overwhelmingly heartwarming for her to have a boy who wasn’t her best friend genuinely care.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, she couldn’t accept the offer. Anthony would never condone it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Ben. Really. I appreciate that so much. I…I’ll let you know if I ever need your help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie felt awful for lying as she wasn’t the type to ask for help, so she knew this was an empty promise of sorts. She still had trouble asking her best friends for help. However, she wanted the boy to know she truly valued him and his kindness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben smiled in return before the two turned towards the direction wherein they heard footsteps approaching to find Miss FG and her daughter finally arriving at the auditorium, the former with a piece of paper in hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Ben, you too? Well, aren’t you two just a pair of eager beavers?” Miss FG greeted the duo with joyful surprise in her usual cheery tone, despite it being so early in the morning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just couldn’t wait,” Evie shyly admitted, thankful for the intervention, not because she was growing tired of being alone with Ben (not at all), but because they were continuously approaching topics way too touchy for her comfort.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben inadvertently had a way of making her want to open up completely, which made her both internally swoon, panic a bit, and desperately long for the empty place in his and Mal’s relationship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Miss Grimhilde, your passion and dedication are only two of the many admirable reasons why…”—Miss FG trailed off for suspense, despite the lack of any real uncertainty, as she pinned the paper onto the corkboard—“you are our Tessa! And Jane, my dear, I am so proud to officially announce that you are our Georgie! Congratulations, girls!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie and Jane both squealed excitedly and hugged each other while Ben cheered and Miss FG clapped for them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie was so happy and Ben was so happy for her that the girl gave the play director a big hug as well, which was very much accepted. Embraced, in fact (literally). Ben even impulsively picked the singer up and spun her around a couple times.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie, on her part, was shocked that she didn’t freak out from the sudden move. She would’ve thought that she’d be having a near panic attack from someone lifting her off of her feet and into their hold without warning. But no. She wasn’t freaking out, she wasn’t panicking. She was smiling. And laughing and enjoying being in Ben’s strong but gentle arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t help but feel an ounce of guilt since she did still have a boyfriend who wasn’t Ben. However, her joy was far overpowering the faint negative feeling for her to pay it much attention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the student body president finally set her down, the two suddenly realized that they’d had a little moment there, and in front of Miss FG and Jane no less. They quickly and awkwardly pulled apart, Evie shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Ben nervously scratching the back of his neck, and both of them blushing quite profusely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Miss FG and Jane were watching the interaction, the latter with excitement and hope. She was definitely telling Audrey and Lonnie about this later. They were going to be so thrilled (even more so when they also find out they got their respective roles in the play too).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Miss FG excused herself then, needing to prepare herself for her classes. She departed with a warm smile and another congratulations to the pair of performers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah, congratulations, girls. You both really deserve this. Each of you are absolutely perfect for your parts. We wouldn’t have cast the roles any other way,” Ben complimented the two, once his cheeks had returned to their normal colour and in a much more controlled manner this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girls thanked him before a new voice suddenly cut into the conversation, “Hey, you fucking idiot! I knew you’d be too excited to eat before you left this morning! You’re lucky your mom and I know you so well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Mal, holding a coffee thermos and a plastic container with a divider, both sections filled with fresh, cut up fruit (assorted for Ben, mainly strawberries for her).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Evie. Jane,” the blonde greeted the girls in a much more polite tone as she approached the trio, “Sorry, I didn’t expect you guys here too. Otherwise, Belle—uh, I mean, Mrs. LeBon and I would’ve packed a bigger container. Do you want some anyway?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither girl accepted, both of them claiming they’d already eaten before they’d left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, now they’re responsible people. Unlike </span>
  <em>
    <span>somebody</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Mal teasingly shamed her boyfriend, who simply chuckled and accepted the scolding and the breakfast with a kiss to the girl’s cheek and a verbal thank-you, “Yeah, yeah. Come on, babe. Sit down and eat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal led Ben by the hand towards one of the benches on the side of the hall and opened the container.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we’re gonna walk around and hang out, but we’ll see you later?” Evie said, not wanting to stick around anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s not that she didn’t want to be around both Mal and Ben at the same time. Not at all. The opposite, in fact. She’d love to be around them, stay and hang out with them, share the container of fruit with them, talk with them, spend time with them…if she could be with them. But she couldn’t. So she didn’t want that truth further rubbed into her face and being away from it made it a little easier to bear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t wanna stay and sit with us? We don’t mind. Trust me, this totally doesn’t have to be a couple thing. We’d be more than happy for you to stay,” Mal offered, trying to hide the hope that Evie would agree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry. Maybe next time?” Evie reluctantly declined.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure. Yeah. Yeah,” the blonde acquiesced, now attempting to hide her disappointment, “Wait!”—she gently grabbed the other girl’s hand, cupped it, and flipped it so that her palm was facing upwards—“Just—here. At least, take a couple blueberries with you”—she poured a few into her hand—“I know you love them and they’re fresh and I accidentally put too many in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie blushed and shyly accepted the little handful of fruit, asking, “You know they’re my favourite?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal shrugged with a cute smirk as she popped one into her mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Mal. I’ll see you guys later,” Evie said, then gently pulled her giggling friend along with her to make sure she didn’t linger behind and say something potentially embarrassing or too revealing about her (even though Jane was the least likely of her best friends to do so).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were at a safe distance, Jane immediately gushed over the entire interaction, even the part she wasn’t there for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh! That was so cute! You guys are all so cute together! That spinning hug and the blueberry-sharing were so freaking adorable! I literally can’t get enough of the three of you! And what happened before Mom and I got here? Oh my gosh! You have to tell me all the details!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Evie merely giggled and blushed as she continued to walk with her enthusiastic best friend while occasionally snacking on the blueberries, listening to her continue to bubble over an unfortunately nonexistent relationship.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>About forty-five minutes later, the halls of Auradon High were much busier and much more crowded. Uma and Harry had arrived at around 8:00, had found Mal and Ben, and had joined them on the bench, chatting and enjoying their free time before class.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, she came in at freaking 7:10 am, walking all the way from her place, and she lives right next to Carlos,” Ben shared, still delighted yet surprised that Evie had so much dedication towards the play already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Girl’s a straight-up trooper,” Uma commented, also impressed by the drive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A talented one at that,” Harry added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone involved in this play is just so talented,” Ben stated, truly amazed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three looked to Mal expectantly as she was the only one left who hadn’t said anything yet. She answered them all with a stubborn stare, but after a couple seconds, she finally cracked as she sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am…cautiously optimistic and slightly more interested in all of this now,” Mal offered, which was actually pretty good for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whipped,” both Uma and Harry teased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, you two can just fuck all the way off,” Mal shot back, “Harry, you’ve been with Uma for too long.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never,” Harry automatically replied, giving his girlfriend a peck on her smiling cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, okay, why are so many couples our age so lovey-dovey? Between you guys and Jay and ‘Los, you could all supply a fucking stuffed animal factory with all of this goddamn fluff,” Mal complained good-naturedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s because we’re actually nice to our significant others,” Uma jokingly answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde’s mouth dropped open in offence and she responded, “Hey! I’m nice!”—she then turned towards her boyfriend and repeated in a much softer and with a slight questioning tone—“I’m nice?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben smiled and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend, assuring her, “Don’t worry, babe. You’re absolutely lovely. I’d never have you any other way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, I love you, baby,” Mal gushed as she caressed the athlete’s cheek affectionately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, you see that there?” Uma rhetorically asked, unabashedly ruining the moment, as she gestured at the pair, “Lovey-dovey couple stuff. So you don’t really have a right to judge.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh fuck off,” Mal replied to her best friend, who merely giggled at the annoyed girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Ben,” Harry chimed in then, “I’ve been meaning to ask you: I’m a little confused by this one play for lacrosse. So…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boys started their sports talk with their girlfriends quickly losing interest. They both decided to begin lazily scrolling through Instagram on their phones, occasionally showing each other a post they thought the other would find interesting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After Mal had just shown her a cute compilation video of funny clips of cats being adorably clumsy, Uma decided to look up and around before going back to her phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, she stopped at quite the interesting sight: Anthony and his friends crowded around the auditorium corkboard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uma narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but unfortunately she couldn’t snoop any further as the hallway was too busy for her to hear and she would surely get caught if she were to hover around the boys, trying to eavesdrop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I wonder what they’re up to,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> the girl wondered, but otherwise let the group be, save some occasional, subtle glances.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Yo, Anth,” Ray called for his best friend’s attention as he pointed at the play’s casting list, “You seen this yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?” Anthony asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your girl made the cast,” the blond boy answered, “And take a look at who’s playing her love interest: Mr. King of the Preppy Assholes himself, Chad fucking Charming.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck?” Anthony demanded as he moved to read the list, “Evie didn’t fucking tell me she’d have a fucking love interest! The hell was she thinking?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unacceptable,” Ray automatically supported his friend, prompting the other two to do so as well, “She’s also gonna be working with LeBon and De Vil a lot. And look. Dwarf boy and the Gaston twins are all gonna be there too. All those fuckers have been after her forever.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony growled in displeasure. He didn’t like any guys—</span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> of them—being around his girlfriend for too long. He didn’t even want Jobrani or Hook, who he knew were already in relationships, to be around her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He especially had it out for De Vil, despite knowing he was supposedly gay and with Jobrani, because of how close his relationship was with his Evie. He also really didn’t like LeBon nor his girlfriend because he could tell they both wanted to steal his girl for their fucking weird-ass three-way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So? What’s your plan, bro?” Luke questioned, eager to mess with someone, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We gonna bust some heads?” Robbie added, cracking his knuckles excitedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guys, shut up!” Ray ordered the over-enthusiastic pair before they started getting carried away and drowning Anthony out, “Anth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group’s obvious leader contemplated for a moment, before pointing at three names on the list and asking his blond best friend, “Know these guys?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ray scoffed and answered, “Bro, I know everyone”—he tapped on each name as he recited a short list—“Aca-decathlon nerd, tenth grader, first with Mrs. Thomas, French.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Both pretty skinny skaters/snowboarders, eleventh graders, first with Miss Sinclair, Math. They’d be our best bet for first targets because they secretly skateboard in the parking lot in the mornings until the first bell rings. They should be alone and out of security camera range.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect,” Anthony stated as he began walking that way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We gonna bust some heads?” Robbie repeated his question, even more excited now that they seemingly had victims.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it comes down to it,” the blond leader answered, then asked in a malicious tone, “You guys have a lot of free time outside of practice for the next couple months?”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Lunchtime…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cast and crew of A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits occupied Miss FG’s classroom as they all went about mixing and mingling with each other. They were mostly all there, save three of their peers and Miss FG herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the teacher finally arrived, however, she seemed quite distraught as she called for everyone’s attention and announced, “Attention, everyone! Attention please! We have some unfortunate news. The students who were supposed to play our two stage hands, Todd and Jeremy, will be unable to take part in our play any longer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shocked, concerned, and questioning gasps and murmurs erupted throughout the crowd.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I was just informed that they were unfortunately involved in a terrible skateboarding accident this morning on their way to school together. There was a collision with a moving car. Todd broke his arm and Jeremy broke his leg, so they’re out of commission for a while and we’ll have to find replacements for them,” Miss FG explained, causing the cast and crew to panic a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben, who was standing beside the teacher, was on his phone typing and sending out to both boys a “get well soon” message when he received another text. He quickly read it and groaned out loud.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s not all,” the student director declared to the room, “Paul just texted me. He said his parents have forced him to drop out of the play in order to focus on his studies. He says he’s really sorry, but there’s nothing he can do to change their minds.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone expressed their worry and discontent similarly to him at the new unfortunate information as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ! What a fuc—sorry, </span>
  <em>
    <span>freaking</span>
  </em>
  <span> mess!” Jay exclaimed, “First rehearsal’s in two days and we still need one more wardrobe person and now three more actors!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guys! Please calm down! If we all put our heads together, I’m sure we can think of solutions to all of this!” Ben said, trying to remain positive for the sake of the group, “Luckily, these are three very minor roles, so hopefully they won’t be too hard to fill. As for wardrobe, maybe, would it be too much to ask if hair and makeup could help Jordan out there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dizzy, Freddie, &amp; Celia exchanged their thoughts amongst each other first. Theoretically, they could and they’d be happy to help the girl and the play. However, realistically, that was putting quite a bit more onto their plates, which, along with their current workload, both for the play and outside of it, was definitely something to be cognizant of.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe Jay and Aziz could try their hand at the roles of the two stage hands? Is that a possibility that you two would consider? And then we have one person from lighting and one person from sound to help out with scene setup for that part?” Miss FG suggested when all of a sudden, the classroom door opened behind her and Anthony and his friend entered the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t bother,” the blond said, “You need four people? Well, here we are.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Keeping an Eye on Them</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger warnings: highly toxic relationship (manipulation, non-sexual non-con), very brief discussion of abuse.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Anthony?” Evie asked as she stepped forward an inch, perplexed by the notion of her boyfriend and his friends offering to resolve their casting and crew problems without any prompting nor forcing whatsoever, “You and your friends wanna join the play?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d literally been belittling her desire to be in it since she’d first brought it up. He’d just flat out refused to even let her talk about it with him last night and he’d been averse to her joining all along. Therefore, it was pretty difficult for her to believe he was actually volunteering not only himself but his buddies to help save the play that he couldn’t stand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Luke can really dance, so he can be the lead guy’s friend or whatever and Ray and Robbie are good enough that they can be the other two guys you need,” Anthony explained as if it were all obvious, “Plus, they’re only gonna have like barely even ten lines each, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’ll do the wardrobe thing. That way, I don’t have to be on stage and you guys have two people for the job. Evie talks almost nonstop about clothes and sewing sometimes”—Not that he actually listens—“that I’ll probably have the basics figured out easily and fast enough with a little bit of the other girl’s help too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His last sentence caused Evie to blush and shrink into herself a bit in embarrassment for calling her out like that. Meanwhile, all of her friends, including Mal, Ben, and the others, sent him some form of a discontent expression in her defence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It also caused Jordan to arch an unimpressed eyebrow at the fact that he apparently didn’t even know her name and to mutter matter-of-factly, “Uh, it’s called ‘being into </span>
  <em>
    <span>fashion</span>
  </em>
  <span>.’ Not that you’d know obviously.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, the rest were either silently judging him quite harshly or wanting to refuse to allow him and his friends to join as they didn’t want the play, which was supposed to be a really fun time, to become some sort of war zone or bullying free-for-all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, the blond boy impatiently sighed then and pointed out the obvious but still impolite fact, “Look, you guys need our help. You don’t have any other choices and this thing starts soon, so why don’t we just settle this and move on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one had a good response for that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Therefore, Miss FG reclaimed the reins of the discussion and declared in her usual optimistic way with a clap of her hands, “Well then, let’s welcome our new If the Shoe Fits cast and crew members!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She applauded for them, which prompted the rest of the room to awkwardly and half-heartedly join in as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay! Everyone, now that that’s resolved, let’s go back to getting to know each other! Continue your conversations and then shortly, we’ll start a questions activity! Go on now!” Miss FG told the students as she walked through the group of students, encouraging them to return to socializing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben, Mal, Carlos, Jay, Uma, Harry, and Gil, however, regrouped near the door and watched with narrowed and suspicious eyes as Anthony and his friends passed by everyone and went straight for Evie and her friends (of course).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think he’s planning?” Mal asked the group while all of their eyes were glued on the bullies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t know. They were all gathered around the casting list this morning though, so I’m guessing this was only step one,” Uma shared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie doesn’t look happy,” Gil observed sadly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t blame her. This was supposed to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing—her time. A break from him and his…behaviour and him being his constant asshole self,” Carlos commented, arms crossed and shaking his head in disappointment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyone else think it’s kinda convenient that three spots just suddenly opened up right when the four of them showed up?” Jay questioned suspiciously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yo, Jay’s so right. That couldn’t have been a fucking sheer coincidence,” the freckled teenager supported his boyfriend’s implication.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bet they fucking terrorized Paul shitless into quitting,” Harry theorized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And who knows if Todd and Jeremy broke their limbs from an actual skateboarding accident?” Mal added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, guys, I’m not saying you’re wrong. You could be absolutely right, but we have no proof to those big accusations,” Ben interjected before the speculations evolved into rumours and began spreading.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, whether or not they really were the cause of Todd and Jeremy’s ‘accident,’ there’s still nothing we can do to fix </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> problem that that caused. If they did it, we could rat them out and get them into serious shit, but like Ben said, we have no proof, just suspicions. We don’t even know the full story and if they get suspended or expelled, we’d be back at square one anyway, with four empty spots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fact is Todd and Jeremy can’t fucking dance or move a motorcycle with a fucking broken arm and leg,” Mal stated “But neither will anyone else if something like this ‘mysteriously’ happens again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So I guess we’re all just gonna have to keep an eye on them then,” Ben declared, earning various sounds of agreement from his friends, before they decided to disperse again and join in the rest of the meet &amp; greet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Evie took Anthony aside as both their groups of friends all split up as well and asked him softly yet directly, “Anthony, what are you doing here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” the blond asked gruffly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean why are you, Ray, and the others here? You hate fashion and the play and the guys aren’t into this kind of stuff either,” the singer more cautiously explained this time, “I know you’d all rather be practicing or hanging out somewhere else, but I also know they’d do this if you asked them to. So I’m just wondering why you’re here and why you had them come with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was a minuscule problem, but one no less. Anthony didn’t like it when Evie doubted or questioned him; she was too smart then. She more than possessed the intuition and intellect to figure out stuff that he and his buddies did, so one of his responsibilities was to veer her off of those roads.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, fuck, Evie! I’m trying to be a good boyfriend here and save your dumb play!” Anthony whisper-yelled at his girlfriend, making her jump and instinctively bow her head in fear and shame, “Yeah, I don’t like it, but you obviously wanna do it and you can’t if you’re missing four entire fucking people!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony—” Evie anxiously tried to backpedal, only to be bulldozed over by her angry boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My friends and I are giving up our precious free time to help you! </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m wasting my precious free time to do this dumb shit with you</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” the blond boy simply continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I-I-I know—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Show a little fucking gratitude, will you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m-I’m sorry—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, it’s like you don’t even wanna be around your own damn boyfriend!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I-I do—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well fucking prove it!” Anthony demanded, stepping into his girlfriend’s personal space in an aggressive manner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Panicking, Evie frantically did the first thing that she thought of that could possibly appease and distract Anthony enough before he lost it on her right then and there: she cupped his cheeks with trembling hands and craned upwards to connect their lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was unaware of the two sets of yearning eyes across the room that immediately averted themselves away from the scene out of a dreadful mix of respect (of course), jealousy, disappointment, anger, and despair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony, however, was well aware and that just heightened his satisfaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was intended to be a quick kiss was significantly prolonged as the blond immediately grabbed his girlfriend very tightly by the waist before she even had a chance to back away. He deepened the kiss, tugging her right against him and pressing himself forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie had yelped then whimpered into Anthony’s mouth when he had handled her quite roughly and tried to pull away when things started heating up. However, the boy merely tightened his grip and forged ahead, trapping her in an inadvertent, increasingly inappropriate, and quite public make-out session.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony’s tongue prodded demandingly at Evie’s lips, fairly easily beginning a very unwanted invasion on her mouth. Meanwhile, his hands started to travel a little further south, prompting his girlfriend to quickly grasp his wrists in a vain attempt to stop him as he was much, much stronger than her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Okay! Yes, I think that’s quite enough of that, thank you,” Miss FG intervened as smoothly as she could manage in the awkward situation, suddenly appearing near the couple, who instantly separated at the interruption (though as little as possible, Anthony made sure of that), “Uh, the goal of this meeting is to get to know your more unfamiliar, fellow cast and crew members, remember? So Anthony, why don’t you take a trip over there and introduce yourself to Jordan since you’ll be working with her a lot throughout this production.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony rolled his eyes in annoyance, but nevertheless released his girlfriend finally and did as he was told, only because she was a teacher though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he left, however, the blond yanked her back towards him and whispered something in her ear that made her pale a bit and shiver but nod obediently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Miss FG subtly furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity and concern as she watched the interaction. She eyed the boy carefully as he walked away, then tried to place a comforting hand on Evie’s forearm and ask her what was wrong.</span>
</p>
<p><span>Evie, however, jerked and mouthed a quick but genuine</span> <span>thank-you to her mentor, then hurriedly escaped the uncomfortable situation before the older woman got a chance to question her.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>She immediately made her way towards Audrey, Aziz, and Jade, hoping to join in their group conversation as she felt a need for the comfort of even just her best friend’s close proximity, all while she subtly wiped at her lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Miss FG smiled sadly after the distraught teenager, wishing she could do more for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was much like Adam and Belle on the matter of Evie’s relationship: she could clearly see that the poor girl wasn’t happy, as that was obvious, and she was no Anthony Tremaine fan. However, she was in no position to express her opinion, especially while on the clock and in her professional teacher mode.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides, her daughter had repeatedly told her that Anthony was a terrible person, especially towards Evie, and she and her other friends had tried, on multiple occasions, to convince her to split from the boy but to no avail. What she could do, though, in that moment, was help her out a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi! Um, mind if I join?” Evie shyly greeted the group as she approached them, trying to sound bubblier than she was actually feeling, which was not at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at all,” Aziz replied with a charming smile that was very similar to Jay’s, “Anything for our crazy talented leading lady.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie blushed and tried to focus on the conversation, but she was having trouble and Audrey could tell, if her occasional, concerned, sideways glances were any indicator.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nevertheless, the lighter-haired actress did not comment on it (yet. She would never say or do anything Evie didn’t want her to in public, unlike that dumb asshole of her best friend’s boyfriend) and continued to listen to her crush talk about his concepts for the set designs. She did, however, at least place a light but comforting hand on the small of the other girl’s back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All the while, Evie was looking over at Mal and Ben, who were chatting with Doug, Clay Clayton, and Diego De Vil, with the same longing they’d been expressing for her earlier. She was also periodically monitoring her boyfriend to make sure he wasn’t causing any more problems.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She really had no idea what he and his friends were doing, but she really hoped it was nothing diabolical. Otherwise, this play was in big trouble and so was she.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Later that evening…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal was in her French classroom, half showing a small group of three little kids how to make an origami boat and half watching and listening to Evie read Goldilocks and the Three Bears to another small group of children.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mal!” a little voice snapped her back to focus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal blinked a few times and then looked down and around at the young faces, trying to figure out which one had called her. She easily decided it was the tiny, blonde one currently holding her newly folded boat up, high and proud.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, Mal! I did it! I’m done first!” the little girl boasted with a toothy grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal chuckled and replied, “Almost, Chlo. You still have to decorate it. And remember, not everything’s a competition.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl nodded her head and immediately grabbed a baby blue marker and began drawing a cat on the triangle part of her boat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, Boo! That’s some seriously clean folding!” Mal complimented the little long-haired boy, who smiled back at her and thanked her, “You ready for some markers now too?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded and grabbed a black marker and began drawing an actually very good image of a horse on the side of his paper boat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Brenna, you good there?” the blonde teenager asked another little brown-haired girl, who was a couple years younger than the previous two.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brenna nodded and grinned, finishing the final fold of her boat before opening it up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beautiful! Marker time now?” Mal asked, offering the child a sky blue marker, “This one matches your eyes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This one matches yours!” Brenna giggled as she excitedly held up a bright green marker and accepted the blue marker with a quick thank-you and began colouring a snake using both colours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, would you look at that? You’re right! High five?” the oldest artist chuckled, receiving said gesture, and watched over her group for a couple more seconds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once her kids were busy and distracted again, Mal’s attention naturally drifted right back to Evie, who had some of the kids acting out the book as she read.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was currently in the midst of one of her fits of adorable snort-laughter because the little boy, Cameron, who was acting out Papa Bear was walking around as if he were a sumo wrestler more so than a big bear. Mal even found herself chuckling quietly at the scene. That kid was always able to make everyone laugh. In fact, the two little girls who were playing Mama Bear and Baby bear, Sofia and Paulina respectively, were cracking up the most.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were really close sisters and they were also both very good friends with Cameron. All of the kids who participated in these Tuesday nights were friends, which made dividing them into groups really easy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal’s attention was pulled away from Evie and little Cam once more, but not by one of her own kids this time. It was by a knock on the door wherein Ben was standing and waving her over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal looked back over to Evie, trying to meet her eyes. Once she made contact, the blonde nodded towards her boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette girl smiled and inclined her head in response, indicating that she could watch her group while she was gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal returned a smile, then told her kids that she’d be right back, to keep working on their boats, and to not give Evie a hard time while she was gone before making her way towards the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben led his girlfriend further into the hallway when she reached him and Mal was surprised to find Audrey, Carlos, Jay, Uma, and Harry waiting for her too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and questioned, “Hey? What’s going on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben, Jay, Uma, and Harry all turned their stares to Carlos and Audrey. It seemed they were the instigators of this little meeting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, so first of all, you guys have to promise that you won’t tell Evie or anyone about this because she’ll hate that we’re meddling, but it’s for her own good,” Carlos began.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold up,” Jay said, “Is this a strategy session? Are we making a plan to break Anthony and Evie up and get her with these two ‘cause if so, I’m all for it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay, come on,” Ben and Mal scolded the older boy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No! Evie’s our best friend. We’d never manipulate her like that,” both Carlos and Audrey exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am, however, glad to see that you two said something because that shows me how much you really do respect Evie,” the brown-haired girl commented.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course we do,” Ben responded, sounding almost offended at the implication, intentional or not, of even the possibility of them not respecting the amazing girl, especially from someone who’d known him since he was in diapers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew you both already did, Ben. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way,” Audrey corrected herself, “I just meant that I didn’t know exactly how much. Now, I have more of an idea. But trust me, I’ve always believed in you three. I’m just…really protective of her, you know? She’s my best friend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, so you know about…us and her?” Mal asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No offence, Mal, but not many people don’t. Unfortunately, Evie is one of them, but we’re getting off track here,” the actress answered, “So, you guys hate Anthony too, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who doesn’t?” Uma replied for all of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fair point,” Audrey agreed with a shrug, “And Carlos told me you all also notice how he treats Evie, yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Again, who doesn’t?” Harry responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even my parents do,” Ben added, “and I have a feeling FG does too, which is probably why she broke up that…scene during lunch today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone grimaced at the collective, unpleasant memory. It was like Anthony consistently felt the need to unnecessarily yet overtly and irrefutably claim Evie—against her wishes—in front of anyone and everyone, even in front of a group of people who all already knew perfectly well that she was with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Well, you guys are the only people I feel like I can trust to ask this favour,” Audrey said, “So, Anthony and his knuckleheads joining the play is not good at all, for Evie especially.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, ‘Los told us how it was supposed to be like a break from him for her,” Mal commented, maybe trying to poke around for information a tiny bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, not just that. She really does adore music and singing and acting and dancing. Performing, it’s-it’s her passion. But yes, it does—Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> give her some time away from him, which she really could’ve used,” the girl cautiously confirmed, apparently not taking the bait completely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s the favour?” Uma questioned curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey sighed and began nervously twirling the ends of her hair, really feeling the guilt of going behind her best friend’s back, so Carlos, whose idea this was in the first place, thankfully took over for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, we, and Lonnie and Jane, usually try our best to watch out for Eves when we’re with her and him together and we’ll always keep doing that. But, with all of our responsibilities in this play, we’re bound to miss some things, which we can’t allow,” the freckled boy explained, his tone becoming more secretive, “So let’s be honest here, it’s obvious Anthony doesn’t actually wanna be a part of the play. He literally hates everything about it. Lord knows why he’s even doing it then, but he’s gonna be in a crappy mood the entire time and his easiest and default target is Eves.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We just would like extra eyes on him when he’s around her,” Audrey cut directly to the point.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry arched an eyebrow and asked, “So you want us to help watch over the wee princess?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please,” the brunette girl answered hopefully, then hesitantly added, “Just to give us a little peace of mind. We…we really worry about her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Audrey,” Ben chimed, frowning in concern, “are you asking us to do this because Anthony is dangerous in any way? Because if that’s the case, I can talk to my parents or Miss FG—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! No. W-well, yes, he is, but not in the sense that I think you’re thinking. I…As far as Carlos and I know and have observed, it would be considered a ‘strictly emotionally toxic, teenage relationship,’ bad enough to be very much averse to, but not ‘outrageous’ enough to be deemed emotional abuse and therefore, no legal action would be successfully ruled if anyone were to report him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I ‘hypothetically’ asked my grandma once, who used to be a lawyer,” Audrey explained, trying to spare as little detail as possible for Evie’s privacy’s sake, however, still with enough information to make sense and to convey to the others how serious she and Carlos were about this situation, “So discussing this with any school staff would only upset Eves instead of help her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And besides, her mom isn’t even able to convince her to dump Anthony. No one’s been able to, so all we can do is continue to look out for her and hope nothing worse is going on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it comes though, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>second</span>
  </em>
  <span> we find out something ‘outrageous’ enough has happened or is happening, I’m taking that motherfucker down. I don’t care what it is or who might try to stop me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No offence, but the first half of that sounds like some pretty passive action, if you ask me,” Jay muttered, unhappy with the notion of simply waiting and observing while a poor girl was obviously suffering so much, no matter the extent, “Why can’t we just tell Anthony to fuck off and beat his ass if he doesn’t?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harry raised his hand, then pointed at the football player. “Second that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, well, first of all, then we’d be no better than him. Violence doesn’t solve anything. In fact, it usually only makes everything worse,” Carlos pointed out matter-of-factly, “Second of all, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’d</span>
  </em>
  <span> be the ones who’d get into trouble. Third, Evie would be pissed. Fourth, at this stage, it’s not our right to dump him for her—Do I really need to continue?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay and Harry both pouted as the former answered, “No, we get it, Pup.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Mal finally piped up, “luckily for you, Rose, all of us had already decided to keep an eye on Tremaine and his friends and—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Mal and Ben already always have their eyes on Evie too, so everything’s already worked out,” Uma teasingly interrupted, making everyone but Mal and Ben smirk in amusement, who, instead, rolled their eyes light-heartedly (Mal) and chuckled (Ben).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys. You literally have no idea how relieved this makes me feel. Evie’s one of the best people in the world and she shouldn’t have to put up with all of this crap, but at least she’s got a lot of people there for her,” Audrey said and was about to say goodbye, but Mal spoke up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, uh, Audrey. Uh, before we go, I just wanna ask, and you may not have the answer, but I have to,” the blonde rambled a bit, “An absolute shithead of an asshole would probably say, ‘Well, she’s doing it to herself by staying with him.’ But Gil said something earlier today that really struck all of us, I think—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mal,” Carlos warned his friend, then shook his head slightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This wasn’t a box they wanted to unpack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal ignored the boy, however, and continued, “He suggested maybe Evie’s too scared of Anthony to break up with him. Do you think that’s true?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mal!” the youngest teenager repeated in the same tone, but a little more aggravated, more assertive, and a bit louder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gil said that?” Audrey asked, unable to believe the usually soft and sweet boy would suggest such a thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He didn’t mean anything by it. Everyone knows he can be quite an airhead at times,” Harry hastily defended his best friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Yeah, that makes more sense. That’s also kinda why I didn’t ask him here either. He’s really a sweetie, but he’s just a little too air-headed to handle a situation like this,” the brown-haired girl said thoughtfully, “Look, I’m sorry, but I’m not Evie. I can’t answer that for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She…she seems to really…love Anthony. At least, that’s what she’s told me, so that’s all I can say and I’ve said enough already, so. Anyway, thanks for your help. I really appreciate it, you guys have no idea. Now, I better get back to Jane and our kids. See you guys later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey left without another word, leaving the group disappointed, except for Carlos, with her less than satisfactory “non-confirmation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really, Mal?” the freckled boy sighed once Audrey was gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I know I was probably crossing a line there, but I’m just as worried as you and Audrey and I wanted to know! Especially considering you guys are so worried that you’d assemble an entire team to spy on Anthony,” Mal defended herself, which Carlos couldn’t really help but empathize with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who cares anymore that she asked anyway? That was hardly an answer to your question, so,” Uma commented with the intention of backing her blonde best friend up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for the support, Uma, but please shut up. I respect her for keeping stuff between just her and Evie,” Mal declared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but, I mean, come on. You’ve gotta admit, this entire thing is some pretty interesting tea,” the darker skinned girl pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t really know if ‘interesting tea’ are the right words for being suspicious of our crush’s boyfriend’s toxic or maybe worse tendencies,” the artist responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think you’re maybe being a little insensitive, Uma,” Ben carefully pointed out, agreeing with his girlfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uma sighed, raising her hands apologetically, and acquiesced, “You’re right. You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be coming off that way. But hey, at least she’s got an entire team backing her up and we’re now a part of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Uma. We get that you were just trying to lighten the mood. And I’m sorry for snapping, Mal. Like Audrey, I’m just really protective of Evie too,” Carlos responded to both girls, “But yeah. If there’s anything going on beneath the surface, with all of our sets of eyes, we’ll find out for sure and, like Audrey said, that motherfucker will be done for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all nodded and said their “See you later’s,” before splitting up and returning to their respective classrooms and groups of kids.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal re-entered the French classroom, with Ben this time, to find Evie had merged both hers and Mal’s groups and was now singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat with the kids as they played along with their newly finished origami boats.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The way the brunette girl was smiling so warmly yet brightly at the kids, dancing with them so simply yet energetically, holding little Brenna in her arms so gently yet securely, singing along so softly yet beautifully, and showing her true kindness and her caring nature made Mal and Ben both melt like snow in the summer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The couple glanced at each other and exchanged a silent agreement. Yeah, if Anthony was hurting such an amazing person, the motherfucker was definitely going down. They’d make sure of it and stop at nothing until it was done.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So this is the last of the pre-written chapters. Well, actually the previous one was, but I’d written this one while I was revising some of the others, so. But yeah, so updates will probably not be every other day anymore. Just a warning.</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. First Rehearsal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Cast &amp; Crew<br/>Tessa/Bella/Cinderella — Evie<br/>Reed/Prince Charming — Chad<br/>Georgie — Jane<br/>Freddie — Dom Tremaine<br/>Divine — Ally<br/>Olympia/Drizella — Lonnie<br/>Athena/Anastasia — Audrey<br/>Bianca/Show Lady Tremaine — Ruby Fitzherbert<br/>Janet/Show Fairy Godmother — Maddy Mim<br/>Show Steward — Student (formerly); Luke Williams [Anthony’s friend]<br/>Two show stage hands — Two students (formerly); Ray Beech &amp; Robbie Valentino [Anthony’s friends]</p>
<p>Teacher Director — Miss FG (Fairy Godmother)<br/>Student Director/Writer — Ben<br/>Choreographer — Carlos (head choreographer) &amp; Diego<br/>Minor characters/Dancers/Extras — Uma, Harry, Gil, Diego, Harriet, CJ, Gaston Junior, Gaston the Third, Ginny Gothel, Zevon, Claudine Frollo, &amp; Hermie Bing<br/>Scenic Design/Stage Hands — Mal (painter), Jay (construction), Aziz (design), Jade (construction), Harry Badun (set tech) &amp; Jace Badun (set tech)<br/>Lighting — Doug<br/>Sound — Clay<br/>Wardrobe — Anthony Tremaine &amp; Jordan<br/>Hair &amp; Makeup — Dizzy Tremaine &amp; Freddie &amp; Celia Facilier (respectively)</p>
<p>AN: Trigger warnings: highly toxic relationship (manipulation, harassment, non-sexual non-con), implication of non-con/abuse.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Thursday, after school…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben and Miss FG stood on the stage of the school’s auditorium, watching their A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits cast and crew members file in for their first ever rehearsal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good afternoon, everyone!” Miss FG commenced once everyone had arrived, “I hope that we are all excited to start! Now this play is going to take a lot of hard work, dedication, time, and effort, but with the students we have selected for the job, I have full confidence that this is going to be a wonderful production!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At the end of our lunch meeting two days ago,” Ben continued, “we handed out all of the scripts or plans, schedules, sheet music, and all other necessary documentation to date and we hope you’ve been going over them or at least scanning through them since then. And if anyone missed collecting their respective material, we have copies here, so you can come on up if you need to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t surprise anyone when Anthony and his crew got up and did so since they were the latest additions to the play and since they cared so little that they didn’t even notice they’d had to take something with them last time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben absentmindedly handed each boy their papers, his eyes travelling past them and to his girlfriend and crush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal was seated between Jay and Carlos and Uma, Harry, and Gil and just behind Evie, who was sitting beside Audrey and their two best friends on one side and, of course, Anthony and his buddies on the other (well, currently their empty chairs).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The student director couldn’t help but smile and silently chuckle to himself, watching the two girls quietly converse during Miss FG’s introductory speech. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Good to know she’s already jumping right at every opportunity to talk to Evie for someone who didn’t even wanna be here in the first place.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to hold this over her head for the rest of her life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His attention was abruptly drawn back to the other boys in front of him though as Anthony harshly ripped the papers from his hands but still subtly enough to not cause a big scene in front of anyone but the five guys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They collectively glared at him as they walked away, making him raise an eyebrow and internally roll his eyes at the ridiculous attempt to intimidate him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony, though, maintained eye contact as he made his way back to his seat, an extra malicious glint in his glare. He immediately yanked his girlfriend out of her seat as if she were a doll, not to mention literally tearing her away from her conversation with Mal, and tugged her onto his lap as he sat down, instantly smashing his lips against hers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben furiously watched the toxic couple as well as all of his friends’ reactions, his cheeks suddenly burning up and his ears inadvertently drowning Miss FG’s voice out in his silent fit of rage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal’s eyes flashed dangerously and her lips twitched with the desire to scowl at the possessive boy before meeting her own boyfriend’s eyes with matching anger and jealousy within them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey turned at the sudden feeling of her best friend disappearing from her side. Luckily, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> able to catch the things Evie had been forced to drop because of Anthony’s actions before they clattered to the ground, all the while glaring at her best friend’s boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos eyed the scene with a dark look, trembling momentarily as if he had just been about to lunge over the seats to throttle Anthony.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay, Uma, Harry, Gil, Lonnie, Jane, and a few other students surrounding the group meanwhile watched as well with annoyance and disdain in their expressions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie herself allowed her boyfriend to kiss her for a couple seconds before pulling away and attempting to get back into her own seat. She was not permitted though as one strong arm completely encircled her waist and the other held her in place by her thighs, effectively trapping and preventing her from moving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette looked down at the ground in embarrassment and discomfort while Anthony began nibbling at her jaw, neck, and ear in front of everyone in the auditorium who was paying attention to them more than FG.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey leaned over the now empty seat and whispered harshly to the football player, “What the hell, Anthony? Could you not see she was talking to Mal and you just very rudely and aggressively interrupted them?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm. Fuck off, your highness,” Anthony carelessly replied, his voice slightly muffled by Evie’s skin against his mouth, using the nickname he had for Audrey that he knew drove her insane, “She’s my girlfriend. I just wanna show her some attention.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey bristled. That damn nickname. She couldn’t stand it and he and his buddies knew it. The way they would say it made her sound like she was some self-entitled, self-absorbed princess.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, so her parents were pretty well-off and she lived in a big house, but she worked so hard to make sure she </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> come off as some stuffy, spoiled heiress. The boys also knew this though and therefore they realized how much that nickname bothered her, which is why they used it on her when they were especially annoyed with her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was about to snap back at Anthony with a sharp remark, but, to a lot of people’s surprise, Evie beat her to it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony, how many times have I told you not to call her that?” she scolded her boyfriend, still bearing her gentle nature but with an added austerity to her tone and disposition.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yes, she backed down from him most of the time, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> when it came to her friends and family. That was a line he was not allowed to cross.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Relax, baby. It’s just a nickname,” the boy replied, still trying to make out with his girlfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, one that she hates,” Evie replied, finally succeeding in removing her restraints, “So I’ll repeat myself. Please don’t call her that. I make an effort with your friends. The least you could do is make an effort with mine. And please, I’m tired of asking you not to do this in public again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette sighed as she slid back into her own seat, shuffling as close as she could to Audrey and away from Anthony. She propped her elbow up onto the arm of the chair between her and her best friend and tiredly leaned her head against her fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony pouted angrily, his scowl only deepening as he watched Audrey lead Evie to completely rest her head against her shoulder and comfortingly take one of her hands into one of her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really need to just leave Evie alone, man, especially when she’s not in the mood,” Carlos commented before crossing his arms and sinking into his chair, leaning his own head against his boyfriend’s arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony shot the younger boy a dirty look and replied, “And you need to mind your own fucking business, De Vil, as usual.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut the fuck up, Tremaine,” Jay defended the freckled teenager at the same time that someone, he’d suspect his little friend with the darker skin since she was sitting right behind him, gave a sharp kick to the back of his chair and Mal told him to, “Leave Carlos alone, Anthony.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony scoffed in annoyance, shaking his head and leaning back into his chair. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“This play is gonna be absolute hell.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Once Miss FG was done with her intro, she allowed Ben to take the reins.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though watching what had happened between Evie and Anthony had dampened his good mood a bit, he plastered on his usual smile and started handing out orders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The crew was fairly easy to direct. They pretty much knew what they needed to work on already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal and Aziz were going to help Jay and Jade with the construction of sets any way they could. Aziz was obviously more competent in constructing things than Mal was, especially since he was the one who had designed these pieces, but she would still be able to make herself useful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jordan (reluctantly) took Anthony to fetch the fabrics they’d need for costumes from the art room, wherein they stored them. Freddie, Dizzy, and Celia would be helping them too until makeup and hair were needed. The members of wardrobe, makeup, and hair would all be intermixed throughout this process since each of them had the skills to be in really any of those departments and they all could use each other’s help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doug, Clay Clayton, and Harry and Jace Badun went off with Miss FG to discuss the “choreography” of the lighting, audio, and sets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That left the actors and dancers with Ben. Well, actually just the actors since Carlos and Diego were taking the backup dancers to the dance room for their first choreography lesson.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, guys! So did you all get to read through the script these past two days?” Ben asked and was pleased when all except three cast members nodded or did the so-so hand gesture.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course those three actors were Anthony’s friends since they were just given their scripts about five minutes ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. Great! So then how about, Ray, Luke, and Robbie, you guys step to the side and, uh, read over your lines and the rest of us will do some readings of scenes without your characters and then you can join in once you’re ready?” Ben suggested with a polite smile to hide his disdain for the other boys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, we’ve got like ten lines in total between the three of us,” Ray pointed out in a mocking tone as if the other boy were stupid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yes, you guys have more minor roles of your own, but it’s also important to know everyone else’s parts, to know the entire script as well as possible, especially the lines before and after yours in order to know your cues, to understand the scene, to—” Ben explained, trying to keep his patience.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, so basically what you’re saying is like ten lines to know and like thirty more to recognize. Awesome. Cool. We can just go through it though. I think we can handle it,” Ray replied in the same condescending tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> think you should just listen to our director and do as he asks, Ray. This is all a little more complex than you think,” Audrey retorted, not appreciating the attitude he was giving her oldest friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> think you should do as </span>
  <em>
    <span>Anthony</span>
  </em>
  <span> says and fuck off, </span>
  <em>
    <span>your highness</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” the blond boy spat back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After almost two years of having to defend her friends against Anthony and his friends wearing her down by the minute as well as this being the second time within less than ten minutes, Evie tiredly yet imploringly objected, “Ray, please—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie, sweetheart, just shut up. You’ve already upset Anthony enough today. Don’t do it again by targeting his best friend,” Ray dismissed her protest, habitually using the pet name “sweetheart” for her in that aggravating and belittling way that so many other misogynists did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wh—I-I-I’m not—” Evie tried to defend herself, but Audrey, Lonnie, and Jane just about pounced on the boy for his dig at their best friend before she could say anything more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Screw you, Ray! Don’t fucking talk to Evie like that!” Audrey yelled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She isn’t fucking targeting you, asshole!” Lonnie shouted as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one targeting </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> best friend, Ray!” Jane added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony Tremaine isn’t upset! He’s a fucking piece of sh—” Audrey was about to continue, only to be interrupted by an irritated Ben.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“GUYS! Please calm down! Come on! It’s the first day! Okay, I know we all have our differences, but please, for the sake of the show, let’s be professionals and set them all aside during rehearsal and performance times,” the student director requested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He obviously hadn’t heard anything that had happened in the seats (he was probably going to hear all about it from his girlfriend afterwards anyways). However, he had seen that Anthony had been an asshole to Evie and other people.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nonetheless, though Audrey and the girls had every right to be angry and he himself wanted to punch both Anthony and Ray, at their current rate, they’d never get any work done.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In any other setting, he’d support his crush and friends, no question. However, as student director, he couldn’t allow himself to show favouritism at the moment because that would surely only come back around to bite him in the ass, especially since Anthony and his crew were involved. He had to bring down the hammer for everyone equally, even for his friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, I’m not a teacher, so I’m not gonna punish you for fighting or force you guys to apologize to each other, although I’d highly recommend it since it’s only proper common courtesy. You guys work stuff out on your own time </span>
  <em>
    <span>if you want</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but while we’re here, let’s please just maintain peace and focus on the play instead of constantly jumping at each other’s throats, yeah?” Ben said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone nodded, even those not involved in the argument, and Audrey, Lonnie, Jane, and Evie still apologized to Ray for yelling and swearing, albeit reluctantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eves, you didn’t do anything. You have nothing to apologize for,” Audrey told her best friend softly, “You either Jane.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was the one who had spoken up against Ray. He had fired back. She had returned. Lonnie had cursed at him. Evie and Jane though had only tried to help her when he had insulted her and the former. Hell, Evie hadn’t even been able to get a single, full sentence out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, Ray, apparently deciding to really test his luck that day, mumbled in response, “Not to me at least.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did he have a mute button?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ray, I’ll apologize to Anthony later if you and the guys please just cooperate with Ben and try to get along with everyone,” Evie pleadingly negotiated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A favour like that’s gonna take more than just an apology, Evie. You’ll have to make it up to him too,” the blond boy replied with a disgustingly insinuating smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey, Lonnie, and Jane wanted to tell him that Evie didn’t owe either of them anything and it was actually the other way around. However, Evie spoke before any of them could start another verbal war.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will, Ray. I promise,” she gently responded, looking even more tired and miserable and anxious now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ray smiled in an off-putting way and replied, placing a hand on the girl’s lower back and a quick peck on her cheek, “That’s all you had to say, sweetheart.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie strived not to flinch and move away from her boyfriend’s best friend. She simply closed her eyes and let him flirt with her, knowing that denying him would be like denying Anthony himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben watched suspiciously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What the fuck was going on there? Anthony hated Carlos, him, and every other guy for flirting with Evie, but Ray was an exception? Did he have a thing for his own best friend’s girlfriend? Even if he did though, he was way too loyal to Anthony to try anything with her behind his back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At least, Ben thought so. Unless Anthony knew and he had permission to…All the same, there was something messed up going on there. He’d definitely have to bring that up with the others later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben looked over at Audrey and noticed she was furious but unsurprised, so obviously this was regular, creepy behaviour for Ray.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How could they justify calling himself and Mal wanting Evie as their girlfriend weird and messed up when Anthony was possibly okay with Ray hitting on his girlfriend?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What a bunch of psychotic hypocrites. At least he and Mal actually cared about Evie and wanted a real, healthy relationship with her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben cleared his throat loudly, eventually regaining everyone’s attention, including Ray’s as he’d intended, and said, “Ray, Luke, Robbie? You guys wanna go ahead and step aside to read through your lines?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ray smirked and replied with a mock salute, “Aye, aye, captain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He then looked at his two friends and nodded towards the side of the stage, actually following his directions for once at last. Robbie and Luke followed after, the former creepily toying with some strands of Evie’s hair and the latter grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking a bit in what he considered to be a playful manner, but was truly a pretty rough one, as they passed by the girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie immediately straightened and readjusted her hair once they left her alone. She then looked down, an arm awkwardly wrapped around herself, lightly pinching her eyebrow between her nails in embarrassment and discomfort and using her hand to hide her face a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one spoke for a moment until Audrey awkwardly cleared her throat and said, “Um, Ben?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Said boy suddenly regarded his oldest friend, not even realizing he as well as everyone else had been staring at Evie pitifully until then.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe we should start now?” Audrey suggested, hinting at how very uncomfortable her best friend was at the moment under all of the attention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. Right. Of course,” Ben replied, taking a much needed moment to regain his wits after all of that drama and suspicious behaviour, “Uh, okay! So let’s go from the top.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>At the end of the rehearsal, all of the cast and crew were reassembled on the stage, satisfied with the productive period but eager to go home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, that’s a wrap on our very first rehearsal! Great start, guys!” Ben announced, applauding for everyone, which prompted them all to enthusiastically join.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remember: rehearsals are on Mondays and Thursdays after school until 4:00, just like today. Don’t forget to bring all of your scripts, sheet music, etc. If you happen to though, it’s not the end of the world. We do have extras just in case, but they are blank, so you’d be missing any notes you might have taken on your own copies,” Miss FG reminded the teenagers, “Thank you, everyone for the fabulous work and I can’t wait to see you all next rehearsal!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait! Wait! Sorry, Ben, Miss FG, if you don’t mind, I have an announcement of my own! I’ll be really quick though, promise!” Audrey hurriedly spoke up before anyone left, “My parents are gonna be gone this weekend and I got their permission to throw our very first cast and crew party, so you’re all invited!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s gonna be on Friday night. Each of you can bring a single or two plus-ones, but I’d just like to clarify that only you get just one or two and that neither of your plus-ones can have a plus-one at all. Sorry ‘bout it, but we want to have a fun party, not a total, out-of-control rager. I’ll create a group chat on Insta and message you guys all the deets. Hope to see everyone there!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A chorus of cheers and thank-you’s directed at the party hostess sounded as people began to file out of the auditorium, chatting excitedly about the new upcoming event.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is awesome, Aud! Everyone sounds so hyped! It sounds like it’s gonna be a blast! Can’t wait!” Audrey’s best friends lingered behind as they were caught up conversing excitedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ladies! Can we interrupt?” Ray asked, doing so anyway as he came up behind Evie and wedged himself between her and Lonnie, “Hate to break it to you, humble hostess, but the guys and I can’t make it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw, that’s too bad. We’ll save you some snacks,” Audrey sarcastically replied, trying to suppress how wide and giddy her grin truly wanted to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Big party with her friends and the cast and crew minus Anthony and his annoying assholes? Yes please!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, don’t get too excited because Evie over here can’t go either,” Ray informed matter-of-factly, heavily draping an arm over said girl’s tense shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” all four girls exclaimed in confusion and surprise, the brunette quickly slipping out from underneath the boy’s arm and facing him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie had literally been helping Audrey plan this entire party and she was really excited about it. All of her friends were going to be there and her mom already knew about it. Why wouldn’t she possibly be able to go?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Ben asked in concerned curiosity as he, Mal, Carlos, Jay, Uma, and Harry joined the other group at the sound of the girls’ collective shout.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s really none of your business, LeBon,” Ray responded with a fake smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, Ray, if you and your fellow Neanderthals can’t come, by all means, don’t fucking come. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But</span>
  </em>
  <span> Evie can and she obviously wants to and you can’t just decide she won’t go for her,” Audrey stated with an overly sweet grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blond boy simply chuckled and corrected the girl, “Oh, but I’m not the one deciding. She is. Well, her and her boyfriend. See, she’s already booked. She and Anthony have a date Friday night.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, we don’t,” the lead actress replied, perplexed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had absolutely no recollection of planning a date on the same night of the party. Why would she even do that?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, we do,” Anthony chimed in, sliding in right against his girlfriend’s back from behind and making her jump.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Anthony, I don’t think you do. Evie sure doesn’t seem to know you did, so,” Mal chimed in, eyes narrowed at the manipulative boy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She knows now,” the boy replied simply with a shrug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not how this works,” the blonde girl retorted, scrunching her nose a bit and shaking her head lightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus, Mal. Just leave it alone already. LeBon, why don’t you man the fuck up and control your girlfriend, huh?” Ray suggested in a falsely helpful tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, because she’s right and she’s my girlfriend and not my puppy dog, Ray,” Ben responded with a sassier version of his regular charming smile now that he was off the clock as student director, making all of his friends laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even Evie snorted out a short giggle, which she muted immediately after receiving a scowl from her boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony, please. Can we just reschedule? I committed to the party first,” Evie requested hopefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you committed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> first,” Anthony corrected her, annoyed with her recurring disobedience that day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was these stupid friends of hers. They filled her with too much confidence and security.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, that’s so not fair. Not cool holding stuff over her head, man,” both Jay and Harry bluntly scoffed with a huffed laugh from the former at the other boy’s ridiculousness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He desperately needed lessons on how to treat his significant other. Like, two years ago. Probably before that even.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, Anthony and company, listen up because I’m about to break it down for you,” Audrey said with a deceivingly sweet smile but in an authoritative voice, “This is the first cast and crew party we’re talking about here. Last I checked, this Friday has no importance to your relationship. It’s not an anniversary, not a birthday, not a holiday. You could literally reschedule this date for any other day. Hell, you could reschedule it for the day after.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>But</span>
  </em>
  <span> we can’t reschedule this party. The date’s already out there and spread to at least like thirty-five other people and my parents have already okayed for everything to be on Friday. Food and drinks, neighbour warning, blah blah blah. It’s all set. And Evie obviously would prefer to go to the party, which she also knew about and helped to plan this entire past week.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So I’ll say it again: you can go ahead and miss out all you want. In fact, I strongly encourage you to. But Evie </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> going and she’s gonna fucking have fun.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony clenched his jaw and his nose twitched almost like he wanted to sneer at his girlfriend’s best friend. His eyes seemed to be burning invisible holes into her head. He really hated this girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone thought he was about to explode until finally, he loosened completely and replied, “Fine. But she’s not going alone. You said everyone in the cast and crew is invited, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey chewed the inside of her cheek at the attempted bait as she matched Anthony’s challenging glare. “That is what I said, yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The heated exchange between her boyfriend and best friend was making Evie feel nervous and guilty, so she quickly interjected, “Guys, you really don’t have to fight or sacrifice anything for this. It’s okay. It’s not a big deal. I’ll just go on the date with Anthony—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Evie. He doesn’t get to win all the time,” Audrey refused to accept another victory for Anthony, especially at Evie’s expense.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, babe. It’s cool. We’ll be there. Can’t wait,” the boy said, a malicious tinge to his voice, before addressing his girlfriend directly, “You can find your own way home?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before even allowing a chance for Evie to respond, Anthony and his friends walked out of the auditorium, causing the brunette girl to blush and look away in embarrassment at having been blatantly ditched by her boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll drive you,” Lonnie offered, lightly knocking elbows with her friend, which earned her a fleeting yet genuinely grateful smile, “Later, guys.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The others returned goodbyes of their own before Evie, Lonnie, and Jane left. Audrey went to follow them, but Uma held her back and spoke lowly to her so that the other three girls couldn’t hear, “Why are you actually letting them come?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s either they come or Evie doesn’t and she deserves a little break. Sure, it might not be a total break, but it’s something. Besides, we’ll all be there for her instead of them being alone,” Audrey quickly replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really hope you know what you’re doing, Rose,” Uma told the other girl, letting her go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mess around when it comes to Evie,” the actress swore, dead serious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We know,” Jay assured truthfully, “But you just invited the devil and his demons to your party.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Audrey said as she began to catch up to her best friends, “it’s a sacrifice we have to make. We can’t have the angel without getting the devil.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Let's Get This Party Started!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oi, guys, I’m so sorry! I just realized I’ve made a couple of significant mistakes in this story. I’ve made the corrections in the affected chapters though and this is just me telling everyone who’s already read up to this point along to the timeline of the updates. See, this is why I usually spend multiple days proofreading and reviewing lol. Last chapter, I wrote in a couple of days and only looked it over like twice, which was a mistake on my part. Okay, so…</p>
<p>1) I forgot. To make everything clear, I’d wanted to include my list of the play’s cast and crew and their roles and jobs, but I totally forgot. It’s there now though, so if u ever get confused, the cast &amp; crew list is in the top author’s note in chapter 7.</p>
<p>2) I just realized I would’ve had a pretty big factual/continuity error. In the first chapter, I stated that Mal and Ben had started dating like halfway through their freshman year of high school. That is now false. The correction is that Mal and Ben started dating just before the summer before their freshman year. It wouldn’t have made sense with the upcoming party chapters and I couldn’t figure out another way to fix it without creating even more errors, except to just change when they’d started dating. So they actually started their relationship earlier.</p>
<p>3) I realized that only one plus-one for Audrey’s party would be kinda limiting I think. Strict even maybe. Especially since I’ve made her rich and I plan for certain things, so. I mean, I’ve never been to a party myself, so I literally have zero idea what happens at them or what is considered a small or big one, but I just basically decided to make the party bigger, so I changed it so that Audrey actually allowed for one or two plus-ones just in case I end up spreading the partygoers too thin in a certain scene or something. That means, with the approximate 35 members of the cast and crew, the party population could range between 70 and 105 people, give or take. To me that sounds so huge, but like I said, I honestly don’t know. I’m kinda imagining a Gossip Girl-type party and they just seemed, like, huge in the show and pictures of a group of like even 100 people didn’t look overwhelmingly big, so. Whatever. It’s a small detail in the grand scheme of things, but it’ll probably be mentioned sometime that some people brought two plus-ones in these upcoming chapters and I didn’t wanna confuse anyone, so.</p>
<p>I’m also so sorry if some of you are thinking, like, “Bro, I don’t really care” or “No big deal” or something like that and this long-ass note has just annoyed you, but it was just bothering me personally, so I had to fix them for my own satisfaction.</p>
<p>Anyway, now that all of that’s resolved, hope u enjoy lol!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Friday night, 7:50 PM…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey marched around her house, carrying a tray of baked goods that she, Evie, and their mothers had made for the party the night before. Lonnie was following as closely as possible after her with two big bowls of chips and Jane was having a bit more difficulty keeping up as she trailed behind the other two by a couple feet, balancing several smaller bowls of candies and chocolates in her hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben had also arrived early to help, obviously along with Mal, and, surprisingly, so had Uma, along with Harry and Gil. Uma and Harry and Ben and Mal were, each pair, bringing a cooler filled with ice and pop cans and bottles to put underneath the dining room/snack table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Carlos was picking up the pizzas and Jay and Aziz were just on their way back from a trip to the alcohol store to get some…less tame drinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were apprehensive about getting them when people like Anthony Tremaine and his friends and Chad Charming were coming to the party too, but they weren’t going to impede everyone’s fun just because of those guys. They’d just have to make sure they don’t go crazy and do stupid stuff, which was why Audrey wasn’t drinking that night. Ben and Aziz were also not drinking partially to help Audrey but also because they were DDs for their friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey set all of the snack dishes up to her liking as she mentally ran through every item. “Okay! Baked goods, check. Chips, check. Candy, check. Pizza’s on its way. Drinks, half check—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yo, Audrey! We’re here! Where do you want all of this? There’s still some more in the truck, by the way,” Jay announced as he and Aziz stumbled through the front doors, each holding three cases of alcoholic drinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect! Half in the kitchen, half in the fridge in the kitchenette downstairs please. Janey, can you show whoever where down there please? Thanks, babes,” Audrey directed, before readdressing Jay, “How much more?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One more case of beers and one more of coolers and a few boxes of, like, vodka and shit for personalized drinks or whatever,” the long-haired boy answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great! That should be more than enough. Oh, okay! Carlos just texted me that he’s here and needs help with the pizzas, so Ben, Mal, and Uma, can you go do that please? And bring them to the kitchen, thanks. And everyone else, get the rest of the alcohol from Jay’s truck and bring some of it to the kitchen and some downstairs again? Thanks!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! And please remember to lock the door to the basement after you guys. It’s off-limits for the party, except for any of us and only for restocking purposes. My parents’ offices and our storage are down there, so that was one of the only rules. We don’t want people poking around down there”—she handed Lonnie a key—“I’m gonna go help Jay start setting up in the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go, guys! It’s almost 8:00 and theatre kids tend to be punctual, if not early,” Audrey ordered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then, the doorbell went off, despite the doors still being open after the boys had come through with the alcohol. It was Doug and he was holding a crate of video game stuff and two pizza boxes, followed by Carlos with five more boxes of pizza.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kitchen?” the freckled boy guessed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good boy! Thank you!” Audrey answered, then addressed Doug, “And thank you so much, Dougie, for bringing your video game stuff. The room’s upstairs, it’s the first one on the left with the huge flat screen. One of the only two doors that’s unlocked and open.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy nodded and jogged up the stairs to set the console up to the huge TV in the indicated room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Carlos was passing by her though, he leaned closer and whispered to Audrey in a solemn tone, “We need to talk. ASAP. It’s Evie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. Bring in the rest of the pizzas with the others and we’ll talk about it. Everyone should still be busy for a little while afterwards,” the girl replied, easily picking up on the seriousness in his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The younger teenager nodded and continued towards the kitchen. He then ran back out to find Uma already holding a stack of pizzas and Ben handing Mal a stack from the backseat of his mom’s car.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, guessing you’re not getting wastey-wastey tonight, huh, ‘Los?” Mal said as Ben handed said boy another stack of boxes, then got the rest himself and carefully closed the door with his foot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos scoffed out a chuckle and replied, “Nah. Drinking’s not really a big thing for me. Besides, I don’t really feel like being unaware with you-know-who and his entourage around. I’m not even in the mood tonight anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? What’s wrong?” the blonde questioned in concern, immediately picking up on her friend’s negative attitude.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it because of him?” Uma also inquired.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos momentarily hesitated and answered, “N-nah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Carlos,” Ben prompted the other boy to open up, recognizing his telltale untruthful stuttering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, ‘Los. If it’s about Evie, we all agreed to help her, but we can’t if we don’t know what we’re helping with,” Mal encouraged as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos sighed and responded, “It’s not…Well, it’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> a big deal, but it’s not important enough to tell </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but, okay, yeah, I was planning on telling just Audrey.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, guys. Really. It’s legit nothing against you or the others. I’m just so used to her being the only person I can discuss this with, you know, extensively. Lonnie and Jane are awesome and they’re Evie’s best friends and I trust them too. But Audrey’s her </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> friend and I know that she notices just as much as I do, sometimes more. It’s just an habitual thing, you know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We get it, Carlos. We do. But we all wanna help Evie, especially us, man. Crap, I’m so sorry! I don’t mean to exclude you and the others, Uma!”—said girl simply shrugged, truly unaffected by his comment because she understood what he’d meant—“Look, what I’m trying to say isn’t that Mal and I should get exceptions just because we’re crushing on her, but we get really worried about her too,” Ben sensitively pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same,” Uma concurred, “Har and I would be worried about anyone being treated wrong in their relationship, but because it’s Evie Grimhilde, it hits worse. She’s the last person I could think of who deserves this treatment.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The younger boy nodded and replied, “I-I get it. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> it…Okay. I’ll tell you guys </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> Audrey. Come on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The four made it the rest of the way into the kitchen. Immediately though, they noticed something was wrong. Audrey was just ending a call on her phone with a deep frown on her face, which Jay was questioning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?” Ben asked as he, Mal, Carlos, and Uma put the pizzas down into empty spots on the kitchen counters and island.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie just called,” Audrey answered in a secretive voice, “She apologized for not having been able to come early to help set up and she said she’s probably gonna be a little late too. And guess why.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do we really have to guess anymore?” Mal commented, angrily crossing her arms and causing the other girl to hum humourlessly in agreement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m guessing she just told me what you were going to, Carlos?”—the boy nodded sadly—“Apparently, and this is just me reading between the lines because obviously Eves would sugarcoat all of this,” the brown-haired girl began with a sigh, “Anthony didn’t want her leaving him any sooner than she had to, so he ‘forbade her’ from coming early.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He also has been arguing with her about the whole party thing </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span> this entire time, so they’re just leaving his place now. And to add to all of that, he’s the one driving and they still have to pick up Ray and both of their plus-ones, so who knows where they’ll actually end up and when they’ll get here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Un-fucking-believable,” Mal muttered while the others said something along those lines.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know. I had her promise to send me updates on where they are though”—Carlos chimed in that he’d done the same—“so hopefully they will actually show up eventually,” Audrey informed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos shook his head in shame and said, “I knew I should’ve just driven her myself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s been with him since we left school today, Pup. You couldn’t have done anything anyway,” Jay reassured his boyfriend, rounding the table to drape an arm over his shoulders and place a kiss onto his temple, “I hate her having to rely on him for something as simple as getting around. He’s the type to hold that over her and use it against her, like he did Monday after auditions and yesterday after rehearsals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought she had her license and a car of her own though? Why does she even need him for rides?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She got hit in the passenger side, back wheel area by a drunk driver,” Ben answered, remembering his conversation with her four days earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She should be getting her car back sometime tomorrow though. It took so long because of the damage to the entire area surrounding the wheel and to the wheel itself. The mechanisms, not the rubber. That too though,” Carlos reported, the first sentence was delivered semi-optimistically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ. She’s lucky actually though. That accident could’ve been fatal. Even still, the back wheel area, she was probably spun around at least a couple times. Could’ve even been tipped over depending on speed, contact, and terrain. Surprised—happy but surprised she didn’t get whiplash or anything at all,” the long-haired boy commented.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know right? They’re giving out licenses like they’re fucking perfume samples at the mall nowadays,” Mal added, shaking her head in angry disappointment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t even want to think about the fact that had certain factors like the ones Jay had mentioned been that much different, Evie could’ve been T-boned and gotten </span>
  <em>
    <span>seriously</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurt. Or worse. All because of some irresponsible and selfish idiot who got underserved permission to operate a vehicle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s ridiculous,” Audrey agreed, “I wish I knew everything that had happened that night.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, Aud, Evie didn’t tell you everything?” Carlos questioned in shock.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She didn’t tell </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Audrey returned in the same tone, “I figured that if she hadn’t told me the full story, she’d have told you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought that she’d told you the full story since you picked her up afterwards,” the freckled boy replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. I didn’t even see the scene of the crash. She’d asked me to pick her up at a Starbucks after everything had already been taken care of,” the brown-haired girl explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey clearly remembered getting the call from Evie late that night, asking if she could pick her up. Evie had told her that her car had already been towed and brought to the shop, the police had been called, it had been a cold night, and she was too anxious and intimidated to accept the cop’s offer of a ride home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Therefore, she’d called her best friend and had practically begged for her to pick her up at the nearest 24-hour Starbucks. The entire time, she never stopped apologizing profusely for waking her up and bothering her, not that Audrey would’ve ever refused her or been annoyed with a request from Evie, especially one so important.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey also remembered the way her heart had completely stopped for a moment at the words “car accident”. Obviously if she’d been okay enough to call her herself and arrange everything with the tow truck and police, she hadn’t been severely hurt. Nevertheless, the feeling of hearing about a loved one being in a dangerous situation was a next-level, indescribable type of fear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, how long ago did all of this happen? And did they ever find the person who hit her?” Mal asked urgently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Last weekend. And no. It was a hit and run and she’d told the police she hadn’t gotten enough info. No witnesses, no license plate, no physical description of the driver, not even what the other car looked like. I think she was too in shock. At least, that’s what it looked like when I picked her up,” Audrey answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, so basically nobody except for Evie, and barely even her, knows exactly what happened?” Uma concluded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s so unfair. Whoever did this to her is never gonna get caught,” Jay said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we’ve already established that the world is crazy unfair to her,” Mal commented pessimistically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, Harry, Gil, Lonnie, Jane, and Aziz came charging up from downstairs and Doug came strolling into the kitchen as well. Lonnie locked the door behind her with Audrey’s key as promised while Harry stopped playing around with Aziz and Gil and read the room, immediately noticing that his girlfriend and the others seemed noticeably heavy-hearted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Apparently, he wasn’t the only one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yo! Why’s everyone so down all of a sudden? WE’RE ABOUT TO PARTY!” Gil exclaimed, slinging an arm around Uma’s and Jay’s shoulders each.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Harry took up his girlfriend’s empty side and leaned over, whispering into her ear, “What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doorbell rang then. No time. Not with Aziz, Gil, and Doug nearby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uma replied just as quietly, “I have to tell you later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I understand. No problem, love. Later,” the Scot responded, giving the darker skinned girl a side hug and kissing the top of her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey immediately snapped back into her party hostess mode in less than a second as she rounded the island and made her way towards the front doors, ordering the others, “Guys, lids off coolers, pizza boxes open, drinks out please! Chop, chop! Let’s go now!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“ALRIGHT! PARTY TIME!” Gil cheered as he followed the girl, eager to greet people with her, Lonnie, Jane, and Aziz right behind him but in a calmer manner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uma and Harry snuck away, probably so that she could tell him what she’d just learnt about the girl they’d recently decided to help protect in private.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That left Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Ben still in the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you heard the man. Let’s get this party started!” Jay declared excitedly, trying to lift his friends spirits after the conversation they’d just had, “Drink, babe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah. Um, root beer please. Thanks,” Carlos requested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay chuckled. “Root beer. You’re so cute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The freckled boy rolled his eyes good-naturedly and gave his boyfriend’s head a light shove. The long-haired boy simply grinned cheekily and kissed his guy on the cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You too, Mal?” Ben offered as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please. Beer’s good. Surprise me,” the blonde replied, pecking him on the cheek as thanks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll be right back,” the brown-haired boy promised as he and Jay went off to get their significant others’ drinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos still looked a little troubled, despite his boyfriend’s attempts at being light-hearted and cheering him up. Therefore, Mal decided to give it a shot, even though she wasn’t exactly feeling too chipper either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She walked over to her friend and bumped elbows with him lightly, successfully snapping him out of his brooding. She then tried to reassure him, “Listen, ‘Los, I get that Evie’s like a sister to you and you worry about her almost 24/7 and you just wanna save her from everything. I get it, I respect it, and I basically feel the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But, man, you’ve gotta learn how and when to cover it up. You don’t ever have to turn it off, but you just need to…mask it sometimes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie’s coming here for a party and she’s gonna wanna just chill and have fun with her friends. And seeing you, her best friend, being all moody and guard-doggish is not gonna help her take her mind off of her shitty-ass relationship. ‘Kay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos sighed, but knew that Mal was right. “You know, sometimes it astounds me, comparing freshman-and-earlier you to you now. Back when you were always the moody one. The rebellious, troublemaking slacker and now, you’re the one giving me moral advice. Ben’s really worked wonders in almost two and a half years.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal chuckled and playfully socked her friend in the arm, protesting lightly, “What makes you think he deserves all of the credit?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I love him to death, but we all know it wasn’t Jay. Or Uma or Harry. In fact, Ben’s good influence even reached them,” the freckled boy reasoned, then added with faux modesty, “And you know, it was probably mine too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” the blonde scoffed, amused by the younger teenager’s comments and glad she was able to make him feel better, “You know, actually, I believe it was me who you’ve looked up to since—What was it? The second grade?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First,” Jay corrected as he and Ben rejoined the other duo, handing them their respective drinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos blushed, then pointed accusingly at his boyfriend and revealed as revenge, “Jay started Uma on calling you ‘Mali’ back in jk!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was you?” Mal demanded in surprise and joking anger, “I always thought she’d picked it up from my dad!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay stood with a deer-in-the-headlights expression, stuttering and frantically searching for a diversion. When he finally found one, he just blurted it out, “Uma told Harry about the St. Patrick’s Day party last year!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “SHE WHAT?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She then slammed her bottle of beer onto the counter and ran off to hunt the other girl down and probably tackle her to the ground and lay on her head until she confessed to her betrayal. Again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay grimaced guiltily yet amusedly and said, “Oops. Sorry, Uma.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay, you told me. You did the same thing as her,” Carlos pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mal doesn’t need to know that,” the long-haired boy replied with a shrug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She will soon. There’s no way Uma isn’t gonna shove you under the bus right back,” the youngest boy assured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no, I know. But because Mal found out about her doing it before finding out about me doing it, it won’t be as big a deal,” Jay explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or she’ll just send Mal right back to you with other embarrassing secrets. You guys have way too many of those, you know?” Carlos responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. I can handle a match of Mal tennis with Uma. Besides, the more witnesses show up and the more she drinks, the cooler Mal will be, so I’m just gonna stay out in the open for now,” the oldest teenager strategized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, what did ever happen at that party? Mal still hasn’t told me,” Ben asked curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew something crazy had happened, but he never found out what exactly. Or at all for that matter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The couple exchanged an amused and reminiscent yet cringed expression and Jay answered, “That’s something you should find out from Mal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben hung his head, laughing at his girlfriend’s and her friends’ antics, and jokingly pleaded, “Just please tell me she didn’t do anything illegal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boys eyed each other again and Carlos simply repeated, “That’s something you should find out from Mal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The student body president ran a hand over his face, despite the entertained smile gracing his lips. His girlfriend was certainly a handful. And that was without the help of her friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speaking of illegal…” Jay implicitly suggested, looking over to where Mal had disappeared moments earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, yes. I should probably go make sure that tonight’s theme doesn’t turn into an unplanned murder mystery dinner party game,” Ben said, excusing himself, before he picked his girlfriend’s drink up and went off in search of her, hoping he wouldn’t find her strangling Uma somewhere.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were alone, Carlos turned to his boyfriend and said in a both impressed yet critical tone, “You sneaky son of a bitch. How the hell do you manage to weasel your way out of the girls’ lines of fire so often?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay pretended to consider his response for a moment, then jerked his thumb over his shoulder and said, “You do exactly that. See, you don’t really need to know how to do it because facing your girl-friend’s wrath would be equal to being threatened by, like, a cupcake. Actually, that applies to Jane too, so you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos hummed thoughtfully, then proposed, “Okay, well, how about I go find Jane and we can test your theory?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Jay could respond, his boyfriend was running off on his own search for said girl, cackling mischievously and calling Jane’s name. </span>
  <span>“Wha—Carlos, babe, no! You can’t help turn </span>
  <em>
    <span>every</span>
  </em>
  <span> girl at this party against me! Uh, h-how about we both just f-f-forget what I just said and go play some foosball instead, yeah? You love foosball! Carlos! Come on! Carlos!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading and again, I hope my little changes and long beginning author’s note didn’t annoy or confuse anyone.</p>
<p>By the way, the party’s gonna be like, so far I’m foreseeing at least three chapters. I’m also just finishing up my final exams, so you guys could really be getting more than just one or two updates from now through the first week of January :)</p>
<p>Also, OMG! What are the odds I plan to update on the same night Sof releases a surprise single? XD &lt;3 Hold on to Me. I really recommend listening to it if u haven’t already. She’s such a great artist, guys. I luv her, her music, and her voice so much. Plus, she’s absolutely gorgeous as always in the video. My favourites of hers so far are Space Between (obviously, even though it’s not technically her music), Siempre (from Feel the Beat. Again, not technically hers, but still beautiful), Miss U More Than U Know, Guess I’m a Liar, and I Luv U and I’ve Had Hold on to Me on repeat since it came out. How about u guys? I’m genuinely interested, so feel free to comment your favourites of hers :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Quality Bonding Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: Literally exactly what the chapter title says: just some bonding time between Balvie. Kinda filler but still with some foreshadowing stuff. Party chapters are probably gonna be around this length.</p>
<p>Trigger Warnings: highly toxic relationship.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was just after 8:20 and there was something around eighty people at Audrey’s house. Some were playing video games with Doug in the lounge room; others were playing either foosball, ping pong, pool, darts, or air hockey in the game room; and the rest were just hanging out as in chatting, eating, dancing, etc. around the house.</p>
<p>Everyone in the cast and crew had brought at least one plus-one, which made Audrey happy. Though she’d wanted to take back her words the day before when Anthony had challenged her, she really had been hoping that her <em> other </em> guests would feel completely comfortable coming and bringing whomever they wanted.</p>
<p>Speaking of him, he, Ray, Luke, Robbie, and whoever the hell <em> they </em> were bringing were the only ones still missing, which meant Evie was also still not there yet. Last she’d texted, they were just about three or four minutes away though.</p>
<p>Audrey couldn’t wait, not just because she was eager for her best friend’s arrival but because she was sure being stuck alone in a car with Anthony and his Neanderthal friends for even just two minutes was unbearable.</p>
<p>The party hostess was just chatting with Ruby Fitzherbert, Ally Liddell, and their plus-ones when the doorbell went off. She nearly jumped in excitement, but she was luckily able to contain herself before accidentally embarrassing herself. She instead politely excused herself from the conversation to go answer the door.</p>
<p>It didn’t surprise her that Lonnie and Jane eagerly joined her as they too were anxious to finally see Evie, especially after she’d filled the other two girls in on what had been happening so far with their best friend.</p>
<p>Audrey opened the door and the good news: it was Evie’s group on the other side. The bad news: it wasn’t specifically her.</p>
<p>The girls were immediately greeted by nine huge guys, all either football or hockey players, including Luke and Robbie, excitedly hollering and barrelling inside like rhinoceroses. They would’ve been completely trampled had they not stepped aside just in time.</p>
<p>“Um, excuse you!” Audrey yelled after them, really not appreciating the lack of civility.</p>
<p>“I’ll handle them!” Aziz assured, having seen the ridiculous discourtesy, as he patted Jay on the shoulder, silently asking his half-brother, who’d luckily only had a drink or two so far, for backup.</p>
<p>The party hostess thanked the pair as they followed the rowdy group of guys to the kitchen, wherein they were all practically wrestling over pieces of pizza and bottles or cans of beer.</p>
<p>She then turned back around, coming face-to-face with the one person she actually wanted to see, looking a bit flushed and jittery for some reason, and two people she wanted to slap, who surprisingly wore stupid grins on their faces (Well, Anthony’s was more so a little upward quirk of his lips, but it was categorized as a smile for him no less).</p>
<p>“Your friends are very…<em>charming </em>, boys,” Audrey quipped sarcastically to Anthony and Ray.</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s a fucking party, Rose. The boys just wanna have fun,” Ray retorted, a subtle drawl to his words.</p>
<p>“You’re drunk already,” she scoffed with a shake of her head and then demanded, “What the hell?”</p>
<p>Ray scoffed in turn and replied, “Unlike probably all of your other guests, I’m no fucking lightweight, sweetheart. We just had a little pre-game at my place. I’m tipsy at most”—he smirked and quirked an eyebrow—“For now.</p>
<p>“Speaking of which, you, my man”—he clapped his hands onto Anthony’s shoulders—“need, uh, <em> fluids </em> in your system.”</p>
<p>“As always, my friend, you’re right. Come on, Evie,” Anthony agreed, tugging demandingly on his girlfriend’s waist with the arm that’d been practically holding her against his side the entire time.</p>
<p>“Um, actually, baby, I’m gonna stay here with Audrey, Lonnie, and Jane if that’s okay?” Evie literally asked her boyfriend for his permission to stay instead of going with him, “You guys go ahead. Have fun, but please be careful. Remember that it’s Audrey’s house, not yours.”</p>
<p>The girls worriedly awaited Anthony’s inevitable refusal. They waited for his expression to darken and for him to either repeat himself more sternly or straight-up drag her along with him anyway.</p>
<p>However, his response absolutely floored them. It still annoyed them because of his incessant rudeness towards his girlfriend, but it shocked them more than anything.</p>
<p>Anthony simply scoffed and replied, “Whatever. I could use a break from your nagging. Come find me when you’ve loosened up a little, babe. Then we can have some actual fun together. In the meantime, Ray, buddy, let’s get crazy, man!”</p>
<p>“That’s what I’m talking about!” Ray hyped his best friend up, “Hey, don’t forget your keys.”</p>
<p>“Ah!” Anthony said, handing his keys to the other blond, who then tossed two sets (both Anthony’s and his own) at another guy who had literally just walked through the door and just barely managed to catch them before they hit him in the face, “Don’t fucking lose my keys, Nakamura, or I’ll kick your ass! And Evie, you’re mine! Remember that!”</p>
<p>The duo, Anthony, at the last second, grabbing his girlfriend’s face and stealing a sloppy kiss from her, then ran off to join their friends, who were still raiding the kitchen and trying to ignore Aziz’s and Jay’s attempts at keeping them in check.</p>
<p>The boy who remained was a seemingly athletic but slightly skinnier guy than the others, a bit like Carlos but taller. He was probably between Jay’s and Aziz’s heights, closer to the latter’s though, who was the taller of the two.</p>
<p>He had kind of shaggy black hair that almost fell in front of his eyes and a few but not solely Asian facial features, indicating that he could be mixed race. He simply stood in front of the door, a mostly unimpressed eyebrow cocked, before shoving the keys into his pocket.</p>
<p>“Don’t want me to lose them, don’t risk it by giving them to me,” he mumbled sarcastically to no one in particular, “Still don’t understand why I need to be the key caddie as well as the forever DD, but sure. No problem.”</p>
<p>“Hey, Ethan, can I actually hold onto those please?” Evie requested politely, “Just since I’m gonna be driving them home anyway and this way, there’s no chance of him being able to blame you for anything.”</p>
<p>Ethan shrugged and handed the girl the keys, “Cool. Thanks, Evie. See that makes more sense anyway. Why he gave them to me instead, I have no idea.</p>
<p>“Uh, hey, s-so, you want a drink or something? I can go get you a soda or pizza or…something. I’m going over there anyway.”</p>
<p>“That’s so sweet, Ethan, thanks for offering! But I’m good, thanks. I’ll get something later, but you go ahead. I hope you have fun tonight even if you can’t drink,” the brunette replied genuinely, even though she was slightly distracted with putting her boyfriend’s keys into her purse, missing the slightly disappointed look on Ethan’s face.</p>
<p>“Yeah, no. Cool. Cool. Thanks. Uh, you too. I, uh, I’ll see you around,” he said before leaving a little awkwardly, feeling very dejected.</p>
<p>Evie’s friends eyed her curiously, Lonnie hesitantly asking with a subtle point towards the black-haired boy, “Uh, and that guy is?”</p>
<p>“Oh, his name’s Ethan Nakamura. He’s our age and he just moved here from NYC and transferred to Auradon High this past fall. He’s a lacrosse player like Ben and Harry,” the tallest brunette explained, “He’s actually Anthony’s first and only friend I don’t mind being around.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry. He’s nothing like Ray, Luke, and Robbie”—<em> and Anthony </em>—“He was kinda standoffish at first, but he’s actually pretty sweet once you get to know him. I think they only keep him around for when they need a DD or something though. It’s actually a little sad. I kinda feel bad for him. He’s a nice guy.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, a nice guy who totally likes you,” Audrey slowly pointed out to her best friend.</p>
<p>She wasn’t worried that this Ethan guy would get in the way of her Balvie hopes. Evie didn’t even seem to notice his obvious crush on her and she was too into Mal and Ben to even consider anyone else.</p>
<p>She was worried about the guy himself. Sure Evie claimed he was a nice guy, but they’d believed Anthony was a nice guy at one point and with him being in the older boy’s entourage, there could be no time before he became or revealed himself to be another Ray, Luke, or Robbie.</p>
<p>“What?” Evie scoffed with a light laugh, “No. He barely knows me and we barely even talk when we’re hanging out.”</p>
<p>Lonnie nodded slowly and carefully questioned, “Is that because you’re only ever hanging out together when you’re with Anthony and the others?”</p>
<p>The lead actress sighed, knowing that her answer, even if she tried lying to them, which she always hated doing and so avoided resorting to it as often as she could manage, would tell them everything they wanted to know anyway. “Yes.”</p>
<p>Audrey pursed her lips and nodded, simply saying in a downhearted tone, “Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Hey, girls, come on. Let’s not start this party off like this. Hey, Eve, Mal and Ben are here,” Lonnie told her best friends, trying to bring the mood back up.</p>
<p>“Yeah, so is Carlos. And their friends, Uma and Harry. And everyone from the cast and crew brought a friend or two,” Jane added.</p>
<p>“That’s good. I’m glad this is turning out so well for everyone so far. Great job, guys,” Evie commended, before attempting to apologize for her earlier absence, “And I’m-I’m so sorry I couldn’t get here in time to help—”</p>
<p>“Hey, you <em> did </em> help. You helped plan all of this. You helped make the baked goods. Look. These decorations? All you, babes. You did your part, so you have nothing to be sorry about. Besides, no one’s mad at you. We all get it…kinda. And if anyone did have a problem, I’d kick their sorry asses for you,” the girl reassured her best friend.</p>
<p>“And I’d help,” Lonnie added.</p>
<p>“And I’d hold their rings,” Jane chimed in.</p>
<p>The girls laughed and Evie replied, “I have the best friends ever.”</p>
<p>“Very true,” Audrey commented jokingly, earning good-natured eye-rolls from the other three.</p>
<p>“Hey, Evie! You’re finally here!” a new voice jumped in excitedly.</p>
<p>The girls turned and found Ben walking over with Mal as well as Uma, Harry, and Gil. Ben had two slices of pizza on a plate and Mal had a cup in either hand.</p>
<p>“Hey, Evie,” Mal’s greeting was a bit more relaxed and controlled than her boyfriend’s, “We figured you wouldn’t really wanna try getting in the middle of…all that”—She pointed towards the kitchen still cluttered with Anthony and his now only slightly calmer friends—“so we figured we’d swipe something for you”—She and Ben handed over the pizza and one of the cups she’d been holding—“Just pepperoni and lemonade still your favourites?”</p>
<p>“You remembered,” Evie grinned and blushed shyly and adorably, trying really hard not to overly gush at the pair’s sweetness, “I feel so bad. I feel like you guys know so many little things about me, but I don’t know that much about either of you.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Audrey quickly interjected, jumping at the opportunity she was just presented with, “tonight can be the beginning of changing that, yeah?”</p>
<p>“Of course! I’d love to get to know both of you better—I’d love to get to know <em> all </em> of you better! I barely know anything about any of you,” the tallest brunette girl enthusiastically agreed, not wanting to make anyone feel excluded even though she mostly wanted to talk to Mal and Ben.</p>
<p><em> “Oh, babes,” </em> the party hostess internally sighed, wanting to shake her head.</p>
<p>Her poor best friend was such a sweetheart, but she could be so oblivious, specifically when it came to noticing and realizing how people felt about her.</p>
<p>Everyone but Evie, Mal, and Ben exchanged knowing looks, then made up some lame excuses to leave so that the three were alone and could bond on their own.</p>
<p>Evie furrowed her eyebrows and asked in genuine concern and self-consciousness, “Did I say something wrong?”</p>
<p>“No! No, Evie, never. You-you never say—you never <em> do </em> anything wrong,” Ben immediately reassured the girl.</p>
<p>“You’re like a literal angel,” Mal concurred with her boyfriend, “Seriously, where do you hide your halo and wings all day every day?”</p>
<p>Okay, maybe Mal and Ben had a bad habit of holding Evie on a pedestal, but it was so difficult for them to find flaws in her and even the few they did happen to find, they adored anyway.</p>
<p>The lead actress laughed and denied their statements, “Guys, come on, that is so untrue. I am definitely not an angel. Once in fifth or sixth grade, I got into trouble for talking too much with Aud, Lon, and Jane and my teacher gave me a ‘pink slip.’</p>
<p>“I was so terrified to tell my mom because that was, like, the first time I’d ever gotten into trouble at school and I wouldn’t be able to handle her disappointment. I even, like, borderline panicked during recess. So I tried not to tell her. It was the first time I’d ever tried lying to her.</p>
<p>“But she picked me up at the end of the day and just right away knew. I still have no idea how, but I swear to god, she’s got, like, maternal instinct superpowers.”</p>
<p>“Oh my god. Same! I legit can’t hide <em> anything </em> from, really, either of my parents,” Ben added, “I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve tried to lie about something I felt guilty about and each time, they just basically already knew the truth before I even opened my mouth.”</p>
<p>“Wow. You two sound like pure evil,” Mal said so sarcastically and flatly that her tone alone made the other two laugh, “My dad literally still has possession of a video of me hanging out with Uma when we were little. She’s asleep and I straight-up just keep dropping a fucking shoe onto her face.”</p>
<p>Evie’s mouth fell open in an adorably hilarious mixture of amusement, shock, and horror and Ben just laughed, having heard this story a couple times before but always loving it.</p>
<p>“My dad,” Mal somehow finding it within herself to continue through her crush’s endearing giggles, “you can hear him saying behind the camera, he’s laughing and he’s saying to me, ‘Mali, honey. Honey, you can’t do that.’ And I’m just staring at the camera with, like, the evilest grin and I’m just like ‘Ha ha ha! Yes, I can!’ just, dropping shit onto her face.</p>
<p>“And that was when I was fucking two years old! So compared to me, not only are you a literal angel, Evie, but so are you, babe.”</p>
<p>“So then I guess it’s really true what they say: opposites do attract,” Evie commented without any forethought, though her smile slowly dropped and she kind of regretted her words immediately after they’d left her mouth.</p>
<p>She still wanted to keep her distance because it was still really difficult for her to be around Mal and Ben without being with them the way she truly wanted to be.</p>
<p>However, now that they were just talking with each other so easily and being around each other so naturally, she wanted nothing more than to just stay with them all night and spend the entire party with them.</p>
<p>It was one of the most irritating conflict of emotions she’d ever experienced.</p>
<p>Evie awkwardly cleared her throat and changed the subject, “Um, so you’ve known Uma for a really long time then, yeah? Jay too, right? And Carlos and Harry?”</p>
<p>Mal and Ben did notice the fleeting moment of discomfort, though they let it pass, not wanting to spoil the good mood they’d been getting from their crush so far, as the former answered, “Uh, yeah! Yeah, so Jay, Uma, and I actually all met each other at around the same time.</p>
<p>“Uma’s dad and my dad are old college buddies, so they introduced the two of us when we were, like, still crawling around in diapers. And then a little bit later—I can’t remember if it was days or weeks, but it was something that short—we both discovered Jay at the park near all of our houses.</p>
<p>“It was a…rocky start for our little trio, heh. Our parents told us that we could <em> not stop </em> competing with each other. We were constantly racing, wrestling—just <em> anything </em> we could turn into a competition, that’s what hanging out with each other was for so long.</p>
<p>“Our parents were so worried we were gonna grow up to be rivals or something and resent each other instead of be friends. But honestly, the competitiveness that we all shared, it actually bonded us, I think. It was never mean-spirited. It was always friendly competition and it eventually evolved into actual, true friendship.</p>
<p>“Uh, and then, I’m guessing you already know about Carlos. The four of us met once we all started school. And then Harry and his family moved from Scotland and joined us when we were in the fifth grade. He and Uma made a special connection obviously and he even befriended Gil and brought him into our little circle too.</p>
<p>“And finally, Ben here! We’d had split classes for so long that we’d never even met until we were in the seventh grade. But then, we were all finally in the same class with everyone in the grade all together and he turned out to be one of the cutest and lamest and best people I’d ever met, but he also became one of the most important people in my life.”</p>
<p>“Aww, I love you too, Mal! You’re the same for me”—Ben hugged his girlfriend and kissed the side of her head. He wanted to say the same for Evie, but he worried it might creep her out, so he refrained—“Uh, and then the two of us began dating in late June just before we started at Auradon High and now here we are,” he finished the story off for his girlfriend.</p>
<p>“N-n-n-n-no!” Evie immediately protested, shaking her head with an adorably goofy smile on her face, “Not ‘and now here we are.’ Not yet. What about you, Ben? How did things go over on your side of the school?”</p>
<p>The boy chuckled and replied, “Well, uh, as you know, Audrey and I were each other’s first friend, but we obviously didn’t end up going to the same elementary school. She went to yours. Uh, my parents and hers have been friends ever since theirs moved into the neighbourhood, which was before any of us. Until I’d met Mal, everyone was so sure that Audrey and I would end up together once we hit high school or something, but we truly only ever saw each other as best friends, nothing more nothing less.</p>
<p>“Throughout elementary…I mean, I’d met Doug in kindergarten and we were best friends until fourth grade when he transferred to a completely different school because of his crappy bullying issues. We stayed friends, but being at different schools, not seeing each other every single day at that age, we did tend to drift apart a bit at times, so I was really glad when we were back to going to school together at Auradon High.</p>
<p>“Interesting enough though, Doug and I became friends with Aziz when the two of us were in a 3/4 split class with him before Doug left, but I’d never actually talked to Jay before the seventh grade. I’d seen him around a couple times, obviously like at their house when Aziz would invite me over to hang out, but to me, then, he was just my friend’s younger half-brother for years.</p>
<p>“And then even though I kinda eventually wormed my way into Mal’s group, Aziz went to high school the year before us and met Dom Tremaine and other people actually in his grade, and Doug was off on his own, I’ve always considered them my closest friends, outside of Mal, Carlos, Jay, Uma, Harry, and Gil.</p>
<p>“Actually, you know what I just thought of? I’m kinda surprised I’d never met you, Evie, before high school. I’d met Jane in like the first grade, but then again, her mom and mine had met and become really close around then. But I’d only ever heard a lot about you, and Lonnie too, from Audrey and a little bit from Jane. I’d never seen either of you before Auradon High. That’s why I hadn’t recognized you when we passed each other in the halls that first day of high school.”</p>
<p>Evie’s face fell almost unnoticeably, but she nevertheless maintained her composure and pointed out with a little tilt of her head, “I mean, I’d never met Carlos’s best friends—so you guys—either, so it goes both ways, you know?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I suppose. Still, I wish we’d met you way earlier,” Ben stated, sincerely having envisioned what could’ve happened had they’d met Evie when they were younger.</p>
<p>Or specifically, before Anthony. And he knew Mal thought about it too.</p>
<p>“I…I do too. I also wish we’d talked more during the first half of high school,” the singer agreed, feeling incredibly guilty as she knew she was responsible for that, “but we can’t undo the past. We just have to continue moving forward and I’m…I’m really enjoying moving forward with you both right now.”</p>
<p>“The feeling is completely mutual, E,” Mal said with a slightly dreamy smile.</p>
<p>However, her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a bit all of a sudden at the nickname that’d just accidentally slipped from her mouth. Evie blushed a little as well and Ben grinned, full of optimism and adoration for both girls.</p>
<p>“Believe it or not, but no one’s ever called me that before,” the brunette girl revealed with a gentle smile, “To my mom, I’m, really, any loving, Spanish term of endearment, but usually I’m her ‘muñeca,’ which means doll. To Carlos, I’m ‘Eves.’ To Audrey, I’m ‘babes’ or something cute like that. To Lonnie and Jane, I’m ‘Eve.’ To everyone else, I’m just ‘Evie.’</p>
<p>“I like the idea of being your ‘E’”—her eyes instantly widened when she realized what she’d just said and hurried to rectify her tiny slip-up—“Um, I, uh, I-I mean, I like, like, the idea of being ‘E’ to you. Of…of being the E to your M.”</p>
<p>Mal chuckled, both she and Ben silently agreeing to let Evie’s little blunder slide so as to not further embarrass her and because it made them feel so giddy and stupidly lovesick that they didn’t want to scare the poor girl away by fixating on it.</p>
<p>“No one ever really nicknames me anything, except for when Uma, Jay, and I call each other some kind of ass,” Mal said with a light chuckle, “I usually don’t like being on the receiving end of nicknames”—she smirked playfully—“but I think I can make an exception for the one and only Evie Grimhilde.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Ben goofily chimed in, “Don’t get me wrong, ‘E’ and ‘M’ are great. I love them for you two, but I think I’d have to side with Carlos. ‘Eves’ is really cute. It’s…it’s perfect for you.”</p>
<p>Evie was already blushing because of Mal, but Ben made even the tips of her ears turn pink. She was losing horribly in the battle to restrain her grin, so she ultimately just let it go, lightly biting her bottom lip.</p>
<p>She was, however, proud of herself for somehow being able to reply with a witty, “You’ll have to request the rights to share it with Carlos from him.”</p>
<p>Now, Mal and Ben knew they shouldn’t really be flirting with a girl who was already in a relationship, but they couldn’t help it! They loved it too much! It was so cute seeing Evie blush and making her smile so much and so widely. Plus, they were pretty sure the flirting or even better, they themselves were making her happy, so they weren’t exactly wanting to stop very soon.</p>
<p>Therefore, Ben continued, remarking that “Carlos can name his price.”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay. There will be no need for any intense auctions or negotiations. I have no doubt he’ll let you. Carlos is a good sharer,” Mal stated confidently.</p>
<p>“Well, that depends on what it is I’m sharing,” said boy’s voice suddenly sounded from behind Evie as the freckled teenager approached the three and came to stand beside his first friend, “Like, a pencil? Sure. Some lined paper? Cool. My school notes? Have at ‘em. My boyfriend, dog, or chocolate though? Sorry, but they’re all mine.”</p>
<p>He then greeted Evie and gave her a side hug as this was the first time he’d seen her all night.</p>
<p>“So, Eves, when’d you get here?” Carlos asked as he sat down on the stool beside Evie’s, which were the ones lined up at the (currently empty and locked up) bar in a far corner of the living room.</p>
<p>“Um, around 8:25 ish,” the actress answered distractedly, apparently just then becoming aware of her surroundings, “Wait, what time is it now? When did we move to the bar? Did I finish my pizza slices already?”</p>
<p>The other three laughed and Mal questioned incredulously, “Wait, E, you didn’t even notice we’d walked over here and you ate while we were talking for the past, like, 10–15 minutes?”</p>
<p>“…No?”</p>
<p>Mal, Ben, and Carlos laughed again. It was too adorable not to! Poor Evie didn’t even really know where she was, getting all caught up and distracted by the former two.</p>
<p>The couple, however, couldn’t help but internally swoon over the fact that first of all, Evie felt safe enough with them and she trusted them enough that she didn’t feel the urgency to be hyper aware, unlike when she was with Anthony. And second of all, she obviously was as into their conversation as they were, if not, then more so.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay! Thank you!” Evie shushed her friends as she jokingly cupped her hand over Carlos’s mouth in order to cease or at least muffle his laughter, her cheeks beginning to heat up for what felt like the twentieth time that night.</p>
<p>“Sorry, E,” Mal apologized, though it didn’t sound all too apologetic and she still had a cheeky, little grin on her face that really emphasized her dimples in the most endearing way, “Now, going back to the topic of conversation, Ben, baby, I believe you have a question for Freckles here?”</p>
<p>Ben merely hummed nervously, suddenly hesitant about asking Carlos for permission to use his special nickname for his best friend.</p>
<p>“Ben?” the younger boy prompted, trying to keep his own cheeky smile in check.</p>
<p>He’d heard the end of the nickname conversation, so he knew what was coming. He just wanted to see if Ben actually had the guts to ask him because it was almost an unspoken agreement amongst himself, Ben, and Mal in that moment that this was about more than just a nickname. It was basically Ben finally, officially asking Carlos if he was truly okay with him wanting to date his sister-figure.</p>
<p>The two boys had never actually talked about it before. Mal surprisingly had brought it up during their second semester of freshman year, once she’d officially determined that she liked Evie <em> that </em> way. She’d actually brought it up with both Carlos and Audrey, somehow rightly sensing that the other girl was to be approached as well if she wanted full approval. She’d asked them how they’d feel about it and her being one of Carlos’s best friends and having the bravery and respect to initiate the conversation, it was an easy approval for him and a cautious one for Audrey.</p>
<p>Ben was basically in the same boat already. He was one of Carlos’s closest friends and Audrey’s first and he did already have both of their respect and approval, especially considering the ongoing, positive outcomes from his relationship with Mal so far. Audrey was so obviously in favour that it would be pointless to even ask. However, it’d never been fully established between Carlos and Ben.</p>
<p>It sounded ridiculous. Carlos and Audrey were just kids as much as Evie, Ben, and Mal were. They were only her best friends. They didn’t have any actual authority over the girl’s life.</p>
<p>What it was was that Evie didn’t have a father anymore nor a blood older sibling (or any blood sibling for that matter) to grill her potential significant others for her. Therefore, Carlos and Audrey were the ones who decided to step up almost as a first defence before Evie’s actual mom.</p>
<p>They’d failed to do it for Anthony and look at what had come from that. They may already know Mal and Ben and trust them, but they weren’t going to just make an exception and drop it for them. They were fully committed at that point. They were not going to repeat their mistake.</p>
<p>“Uh, well, Carlos, uh, I wanted—I-I would like—I—Okay,” Ben stuttered before taking a deep breath.</p>
<p>This was reminding him of when Jay and Uma had first approached him about his interest in Mal. Carlos may be his good friend and may not be nearly as intimidating as the other two, but the fact that he knew Evie so well and had known her for so long. After having witnessed just a fraction of how protective the younger boy could get over her, it was still pretty nerve-racking for him to be asking for his blessing.</p>
<p>“Carlos, would it be okay if I called Evie ‘Eves?’” Ben requested, feeling both stupid and nervous at the same time.</p>
<p>Audrey had purposely remained silent, allowing Mal to squirm a little before having expressed her approval. Luckily for Ben, Carlos wasn’t as mischievous.</p>
<p>He simply chuckled, lightly slung an arm over Evie’s shoulders, and replied, “Yeah, Ben. Go ahead. You can call her ‘Eves.’ You could’ve for a long time now.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Carlos. Really, thank you,” the brown-haired boy responded as he pat the other on the shoulder, feeling incredibly relieved.</p>
<p>Evie eyed both boys in confusion and commented, “Okay, that was a lot more dramatic than I’d thought it’d be. Was this some kind of secret code between you guys or something?”</p>
<p>Carlos simply encircled his friend with both arms in a loose embrace and told her, “Don’t worry about it. Come on, let’s go get yourself and these two refills, yeah? The footballers and puck-heads are off playing in the game room now, so the kitchen’s vacant.”</p>
<p>The pair stood and went off to do so, Mal and Ben laughing from watching Evie look down into her cup and exclaim, “Oh my god! When did I finish my lemonade too? What is wrong with me?” as they walked away.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>(The following AN is completely irrelevant to the fic. It’s just my opinion on a movie, so feel free to just ignore it if u want.) So I finally watched Sofia Carson’s latest movie Songbird for the first time a little while ago and, I mean, I liked it. I can understand why many don’t: too soon, “predictive programming,” weak plot, insensitive, etc. It makes sense to me and I can totally understand where the hate for the movie is coming from, but these are my personal opinions:</p>
<p>1) It’s not really meant to be a political/moral statement on COVID-19, the pandemic, nor the current state of the world. Sure, it gets a couple little things in (like when KJ Apa’s character is teasing the armed forces about keeping their masks on as he’s walking past them), but it’s not the main point of the film. It’s a love story. It’s a message of hope and resilience. Sof has said basically that, so that’s what I, myself, am focussing on and interpreting it as I’m watching the movie.</p>
<p>2) I’m honestly super relieved that all of the reviews seem to just be dragging on the plotline of the movie and not the actors’ performances because I think they all did well and wouldn’t have deserved it. Sof especially for me (I’m obviously biased, but still). Her character, Sara, is like one of the cutest things ever and she goes through a lot but still takes a stand. And even though she can’t leave her apartment, she doesn’t just wait around for her boyfriend to save her. Yeah, she has no choice but to rely heavily on him since he can go out and she can’t, but it's very much a collaborative rescue mission in my opinion. She does her part to get herself out of danger and he does his. She’s a warrior princess, not some damsel in distress.</p>
<p>3) Yes, they filmed a movie during a pandemic, but they filmed as safely as they could as quickly as they could. Sof said that the crew was super limited. She said they had to take tests every day before starting. They filmed in like I think it was just a couple of weeks or so. Actors are barely even in the same room throughout the movie and if they are, it’s either less than four of them without masks on or something and only during the takes or they made wearing heavy duty masks or even full-on hazmat suits work into the plot. There are literally two main characters who never even come into in-person contact with the rest of the main cast of like nine. I think they were actually really responsible when making this movie and as far as I know, it worked.</p>
<p>4) I’m super proud of Sof’s performance, of course, but even more so of the fact that she has fully supported this project from the beginning to end and the most out of all of the cast and crew from what I’ve seen, despite all of the controversy. She’s proud of her work and not afraid to show it and so I’m proud of her and I majorly respect her for that.</p>
<p>Anyways, as always, thanks for reading and wishing all of u a belated Happy Holidays and a slightly early Happy New Year! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Truth or Dare?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trying to get another chapter or two in before I go back to school next week :) Lots of teenage drama in this chapter lol because of course! It's a game of truth or dare at a high school party! XD</p>
<p>Trigger warnings: highly toxic relationship (manipulation, harassment, non-sexual non-con, aggressive physical treatment).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Evie and Carlos entered the kitchen, eyeing the state of complete disarray Anthony and his buddies had left it in with disgust and annoyance, already feeling exhaustion at the mere thought of having to clean it all up the next morning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They can be such pigs sometimes,” Evie sighed as she refilled her cup with lemonade and got another coke for Ben.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep,” Carlos agreed as he grabbed a can of root beer for himself and a bottle of Mal’s favourite beer, “You’ve got quite the classy guy on your hands.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Carlos, please don’t start,” the brunette requested tiredly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony was really the </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing that always led to an argument between the two best friends. Evie really hated that there even was something that could make them argue with each other and that it was no one else’s fault but her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Therefore, she relentlessly avoided talking about him with any of her friends, really, as much as she could. It was mentally tiring and often very difficult, having to be so cautious about </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> talking about a pretty big part of her life, but nevertheless absolutely necessary in order for her to keep both her cherished friendships intact as well as her boyfriend satisfied and out of trouble.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It-it just slipped out. I didn’t mean to,” Carlos apologized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was true. He hadn’t meant to upset Evie and it was a knee-jerk response that had inadvertently escaped him. He always made a conscious effort to remember to be careful of what he said about Anthony in front of her and if he did happen to forget himself, he’d make sure to always apologize for it</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was the only one of her best friends who really ever did that. Audrey never took crap from anyone, especially from Anthony, and so she never regret calling him out for it one bit, which was sometimes good and other times not so good, depending on the situation. Lonnie usually pushed the limits a little before eventually letting things go and internalizing her annoyance from then on. And Jane barely ever said anything bad about Anthony out loud until Evie was out of earshot, so she never really needed to apologize to the other girl about mouthing off in front of her anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All this said though, Carlos would never </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> apologize for dissing that asshole, especially when all of his critiques were nothing but the complete and utter truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie bit her lip as she regarded the younger boy for a moment, then rounded the table and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, speaking softly into his ear, “I know you disapprove of Anthony and I can understand why, but thank you for always trying to tolerate him for me. I know I don’t say it nearly often enough, but I really appreciate it and, most of all, you more than you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos didn’t hesitate to immediately circle his own arms around his best friend’s waist in turn and he replied, “Of course, Eves. I may not like him”—</span>
  <em>
    <span>more like hate</span>
  </em>
  <span>—“but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, ‘Los,” the singer returned, tightening her hold ever so slightly, as she leaned her forehead against the boy’s neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sudden and loud clatter sounded from behind Evie, making the pair jump. Evie leaned more into Carlos, who tightened his hold on her in a protective manner. They both looked over to find none other than Ray, righting a couple of beer bottles he’d knocked over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Shit,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>the brunette girl mentally cursed as she hurriedly, but in as subtle a way as possible so as not to raise her best friend’s suspicion, retracted herself from Carlos.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oops,” the blond said disingenuously, staring right at the two younger teenagers with a worrying glint in his eyes, “Evie, there you are. I’ve been looking for you. Anthony wants you. We’re about to start a Spin-the-Bottle game in the living room and he wants you to play. You can even bring your little puppy with you too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ray—” Evie tried to scold the football player for his name-calling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, he ignored her in favour of inserting himself between her and Carlos and draping an arm over each of their shoulders, much to their discomfort and the latter’s annoyance. He then led them back into the living room, where Anthony and his football players had also gathered participants for the game, including both Evie’s and Carlos’s entire friend groups, drinks for themselves, Mal, and Ben inadvertently abandoned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed like their friends had been forcibly enrolled in the game too as none of them looked incredibly pleased to be there. Mal and Ben were still at the bar, looking both confused and suspicious, but now with an annoyed and equally sceptical Uma and a bored Jay and Harry. Audrey and Aziz were clearly reluctantly sharing a couch with a practically vibrating from excitement Luke and Robbie. And Lonnie and Jane were sharing a single large living room chair, looking slightly curious but mostly wary.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ray pushed Evie and Carlos further into the room and towards Anthony, who was sitting on the love-seat. He placed Evie onto her boyfriend’s lap obviously, who immediately wrapped his arms around her. He then made Carlos sit on an ottoman beside Ethan Nakamura before taking the seat beside his best friend for himself, so that he and Ethan were both purposely separating Carlos and Evie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were handfuls of other partygoers hanging around as well, waiting for the game to begin, and an empty beer bottle resting on the coffee table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, everyone’s here now! We’re finally ready to start!” Ray announced excitedly, obviously having downed a couple more drinks since having arrived at the party based off of his unusual liveliness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, what are the rules? What version are we playing? Truth or Dare or kissing?” Maddy Mim asked, blatantly eyeing Ben hopefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone, including the aforementioned boy, caught the unwanted attention and he cleared his throat uncomfortably, leaning closer to Mal, who in turn scowled at the other girl and wrapped her boyfriend’s arm around herself. This made him relax and chuckle, giving her a calming and reassuring peck on the temple.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Truth or Dare,” Ray answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one’s kissing my girl but me,” Anthony declared, emphasizing his statement by pulling his girlfriend closer against him and clumsily kissing her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He too had evidently gotten pretty drunk already along with Ray and their buddies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, that’s gonna depend on what happens when the bottle lands on her, Anthony,” Chad Charming retorted with a wink directed at the brunette girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d had a creepily particular fascination with Evie ever since he’d first seen her in his freshman chemistry class, so though it was repeatedly unwelcome, this was not uncommon behaviour for him. And per usual, it succeeded in making Evie react uncomfortably and in pissing Anthony off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal caught the senior boy pinch his girlfriend’s side hard enough to make her jump a bit and whisper something into her ear, making her shudder and pale ever so slightly. She’d just about called him out for whatever it was he had done to Evie if not for Ray.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As always, fuck you, Charming. Now let’s just play already!” the blond ordered as he spun the bottle first to get the game started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bottle went through four rounds until it finally landed on one of Evie’s or Carlos’s friends. Ally had spun it rather aggressively, her face a little red, after having had to confess that Ethan was her current crush, who had merely awkwardly taken a sip of his drink (with a subtle and fleeting glance towards Evie that her friends had definitely noticed) in response, the bottle coming to a slow stop on Audrey.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She chose dare. No way was she going to choose truth and reveal anything potentially embarrassing about herself after having witnessed Ally’s turn, especially not right in front of her own crush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ooh hoo hoo hoo! I call this one!” Ray giddily exclaimed before anyone else had a chance to volunteer, making Audrey roll her eyes and brace herself for the worst, “I dare you…to…give up your phone to…Ally and let her send a sext to any guy in your contacts who is not in this room right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh fuck,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> the party hostess mentally cursed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ally was the worst gossip. She was kind of a basic, blonde, British “popular” girl. They weren’t close friends and she absolutely adored drama. Therefore, she knew the other girl would really go all out with this text just to see if she could get a good reaction and Ray knew that too. The bastard. Well, there was no way Audrey was ever going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her sweat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She maintained confident and challenging eye contact with the blond boy as she got up, unlocked her phone, and handed it to Ally.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to give us a play-by-play by the way, Ally, if that wasn’t already obvious,” Ray added arrogantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah. I know how this dare goes. It’s not my first time,” the British girl dismissed the unnecessary instruction as she already began scrolling through Audrey’s contact list.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Of course it isn’t,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Audrey internally retorted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She ended up choosing Dom Tremaine of all people and wrote some stupid message about how hot and muscular and attractive he was and how “Audrey” was totally “dtf.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dare, however, unknowingly to anyone but Audrey and people who actually knew her well enough, ended up being a complete bust for a few reasons.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>First of all, Dom was a pretty chill guy and a friendly acquaintance, so he probably wouldn’t take the text seriously if he’d read it right away. Second of all, he knew Audrey was already into Aziz after he’d accidentally overheard her asking Ben about him once at a football/cheerleading practice. Third of all, no one specified that she couldn’t send a follow-up text nor did anyone notice that she did exactly that, apologizing and explaining that this was a stupid dare.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey spun the bottle and it landed on Lonnie, who chose dare and had to do a shot race against Jay, Harry, and Gil. She won with Jay finishing behind by a close second, Harry right after in third, and Gil in last.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lonnie then spun, a little clumsily, and it landed on Maddy, who chose dare as well. Unfortunately for her, no one dared her to flirt, kiss, or make out with Ben. Instead, she had to post her most embarrassing selfie from her camera roll onto her Instagram and Facebook.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maddy spun and the bottle landed on Ethan, who sighed and reluctantly chose dare too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dare you to kiss the person who turns you on the most in this room,” Luke said, laughing with Robbie, both of them eager to see who their friend would choose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan blushed and his gaze instinctively travelled to Evie, who had been watching the entire game mostly with disinterest until she must’ve felt eyes on her. He tried to look away as quickly as possible and seek someone else who wouldn’t be as big a deal, but he unfortunately wasn’t fast enough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, woah, woah, wait! Hold up! No way! Dude, do you have a thing for Evie?” Robbie demanded wearing matching shit-eating grins with Luke, their intoxication taking away their filters and their usual awareness of Anthony’s discontent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both Evie and Ethan flushed red, the former in embarrassment and discomfort and the latter in embarrassment as well and annoyance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie stared at the floor, unable to find it within herself to look at the boy. She had really hoped Audrey and Lonnie had just been reading too deeply into their earlier interaction because she liked Ethan, just not that way. However, apparently they hadn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know the rules, Nakamura! You gotta do it, man!” Luke encouraged the younger boy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, hey. I think we can let this one slide. Just go with your second choice, Nakamura,” Ray strongly suggested, his sense of loyalty to Anthony overpowering any level of inebriation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or just let it go entirely,” Ally chimed in, the frustrated flush returning to her face with an added hint of envy as she did not want to have to watch her crush kiss another girl, especially one as pretty and admittedly likeable as Evie Grimhilde.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, come on! We all had to do ours full-out!” Maddy protested, unabashedly really wanting the exact opposite of what Ally wanted; to see some other guy kiss Anthony Tremaine’s girlfriend and the aftermath of that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Nakamura. Come on,” Anthony told the other boy, a dangerously daring glint in his eyes and edge in his tone, despite his arm tightening around Evie, “Just do it. Kiss my girlfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone went silent all of a sudden, no one having expected Anthony to agree with, let alone encourage, this, especially since he’d just claimed that no one else was supposed to kiss his girl. Anticipation and tension filled the room as everyone sat on the edges of their seats, awaiting Ethan’s response. Mal and Ben were practically holding their breaths. She so hadn’t gotten drunk enough—or at all for that matter—for this shit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony rolled his eyes over-exaggeratedly and snapped, grabbing Evie by the chin and forcibly raising her face to look at the other boy, “Get the fuck over here and kiss my fucking girlfriend, Nakamura!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All of Evie’s friends immediately went on high alert, some of them even momentarily snapping out of their drunken states. Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Audrey jumped out of their seats and Ben, Uma, Harry, Lonnie, and Jane sat up straight right away, all of them read to intervene.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay! Okay! I’ll do it! Let her go! I’ll do it!” Ethan shouted, standing up as well and placing a grounding hand onto Carlos’s chest, right over his hammering heart, before muttering under his breath, “Jesus. Fucking psychopath.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gently pushed Carlos to sit back down, prompting all of his friends to hesitantly do the same. Well, all except for Mal, who remained on her feet just in case, although her stance the slightest bit more at ease.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan then sighed and slowly walked over so that he was awkwardly standing in front of Evie, who apprehensively and uncomfortably looked up at him at last, on her own this time. Her cheeks were still a little flushed, she had light, pink marks on her face where Anthony had grabbed her, and her eyes were shining with what he could only identify as fear. Fear of what else her boyfriend would do afterwards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Feeling more sympathy for her than he’d ever felt for anyone else, Ethan leaned down and gave Evie a simple and quick kiss on the cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boo! Weak!” Luke and Robbie jeered jokingly as the younger boy stepped away from his crush to begrudgingly spin the bottle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, you never specified, okay? So fuck off, assholes,” Ethan replied in irritation as he plopped back down next to Carlos, not catching the fact that Mal had sat back down as well nor the grateful and respectful glances he was receiving from the two other teenagers and their friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though the teasing was annoying, he knew he’d made the right decision when Evie eased up a tiny bit and Anthony sat back once more, looking not content but not angry nor crazy anymore either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sure, he wasn’t the guy’s biggest fan and he was really only using him to stay on the wrong guys’ good sides. However, he truly liked Evie and thought she was a great girl who didn’t deserve the secondhand embarrassment and whatever other crap her boyfriend had ready for her to endure had he actually kissed her. On the lips. Pouring all of his unspoken feelings for her into it, like he’d really wanted to ever since their first interaction wherein she was the first person in this entire town to be so nice and warm and welcoming towards him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No. He had made the right choice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ooh hoo hoo! Who knew? Quiet dude has some fire! I like it! I like it. Okay! So,” Luke exclaimed, rubbing his hands together excitedly, “Who’s our next loser?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bottle had just started slowing down when everyone redirected their attention to it at Luke’s prompt and it stopped on Ray.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, yo, I dare you the same thing as Nakamura since he fucking pussied out,” Robbie said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No problem,” Ray replied smugly as he turned to his right, wrapped a hand around the back of Evie’s neck, taking her by surprise, and yanked her toward him into a sloppy kiss, pulling her halfway off of her boyfriend’s lap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even as he let her go, he left one last quick peck on her lips as if he were reluctant to stop and then, to add to all of that, he draped an arm across the back of the love-seat, the new weight resting heavily on Evie’s shoulders and his hand landing on one of Anthony’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, WHAT THE HELL?” Ethan immediately protested as he shot up from his seat, his complaint surprisingly sounding over anyone else’s, even Mal’s and Audrey’s, which was a serious feat, “She and I almost get our fucking asses kicked for an almost kiss, but Ray can fucking shove his tongue down her throat and you do shit all? What the hell is wrong with you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ray is my best friend. I trust him,” Anthony calmly responded as if it were the simplest thing in the world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan just stared back at the older boy in disgust and disbelief and uttered, “That is so screwed up. She’s your girlfriend for fuck’s sake”—he scoffed and shook his head—“I’m done, man. I’m out. I don’t care what you think of me after this, but I don’t wanna be anywhere near you or any of your stupid friends anymore if it’s gonna make me into another one of you or even give off the idea that I am.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And the only reason I’m not just straight-up ditching this party and leaving you here stranded is because I know that wouldn’t be fair to Audrey and you’d end up trying to drive yourselves home and probably kill some innocent person on the way back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And just like that, Ethan threw Ray’s keys at him, much like he’d done to him at the beginning of the night, and walked off, heading in the direction of the video games and muttering, “Evie’s got the others.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ray simply scoffed and leaned forward to spin the bottle, saying, “Fine. Good riddance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ray, come on—” Evie spoke softly to the blond, trying to let the game continue while also trying to pull some compassion out of him, only to be cut off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Evie. He’s a quitter and a loner, so let him go be that,” Anthony told his girlfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl’s breath trembled, but she nevertheless cautiously suggested, “Maybe…maybe you should go apologize to him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For what?” her boyfriend demanded in a dark tone that indicated he was starting to lose what little patience he had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I don’t know. F-f-for yelling at him earlier?” she replied, her voice doubtful even though her answer was completely sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I yelled at him to help him grow a pair and do the stupid dare,” Anthony corrected his girlfriend, “Jesus. What? Did you want him to actually kiss you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wh—No! I didn’t say that,” Evie responded truthfully, genuinely confused as to how he had arrived at that conclusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you never say anything, do you, Evie?” the football player said in an accusatory voice, his anger growing and beginning to affect his girlfriend’s own mood too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I-I…I’m sorry,” Evie submitted, knowing that this conversation would only escalate into an argument, which she had wanted to avoid for the night, especially a public one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” Anthony replied, his demeanour lightening a tiny bit, “Now get over here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette slowly laid back into the sofa cushion and reluctantly leaned her head onto her boyfriend’s shoulder (Well, Ray’s hand that was still on his shoulder).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony, in return, hooked his hand around her knee, almost as if he was securing her in place if she were to stupidly try to escape him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie tried to ignore the uncomfortable physical contact as much as she could by tuning back into the game. She watched the bottle spin again after someone—she hadn’t the slightest clue whom—had just finished their turn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was almost hypnotizing. So much so, in fact, that she hadn’t even realized the bottle had stopped until all eyes were on her, waiting for her to voice her decision between a truth or a dare. Christ, she really couldn’t catch a break, could she?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lead actress froze, a little voice in the back of her mind wondering how the hell she was able to perform whatever one of her art forms really well in front of a large audience and yet she couldn’t even form a sentence in front of a group of her classmates staring unwaveringly at her during a stupid game of truth or dare.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She wants truth,” Anthony announced for her, making his girlfriend lift her head and turn it towards him with a questioning expression on her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure about that, Anthony?” Mal asked from across the room, an eyebrow quirked challengingly, “Because it doesn’t really look like </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> is, so maybe you should just back off and let her speak for herself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s sure. Right, babe?” the football player pretended to ask, knowing that his girlfriend would just agree with him since she’d already angered him that night, especially if he gave her one of his looks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Sure. I guess,” Evie acquiesced tiredly, not even really caring at that point.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Throughout this entire game, a friend had been embarrassed, she’d been embarrassed, she’d been grabbed at, yelled at, kissed without her consent by both her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s best friend. It wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary for her, but it was also something that she never got used to and always grew exhausted from. What was one more exhausting thing?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. See? And I’ve got the question already too, so everyone shut the fuck up,” Anthony ordered, making Evie and her friends feel unsettled, especially with the malicious glint in his entire behaviour, “What were your first impressions of the people who you met for the first time on the first day of freshman year in this room?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know it seems like kind of a weird place to end the chapter, but it’s leading somewhere, I swear lol. As always, thanks for reading.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Evie's Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pretty long one for my last chapter right before my winter break ends. Not ecstatic to be going back to having schoolwork, due dates, and more regular practice (I’m majoring in music, classical guitar), but hey. Education’s important. That said, definitely going to slow down updates, so sorry about that, but the things we’ve gotta do, u know?</p>
<p>So, Fanfic user Stoffe asked if I’d be doing flashbacks to Evie, Mal, and Ben’s first meetings and the answer is yes (this chapter). Well, kinda. It’s Evie’s first meetings with Mal and Ben as well as Anthony (and technically Doug too, but that’s insignificant), plus a little “bonus,” I guess.</p>
<p>I might do a first meeting for just Mal and Ben since, as mentioned in chapter 9, they’d met earlier or I might just have them tell the story themselves but in some more detail than what little has already been revealed in that same chapter, but I haven’t decided yet. Obviously Evie’s my favourite and out of the three dynamics of the throuple, Bal is very much, by far my least favourite (which I guess is ironic since I’ve made them the established pairing lol), so I risk not doing a great job in terms of chemistry probably if I do decide to do the actual flashback. But we’ll see. Anyway…</p>
<p>Trigger warnings: highly toxic relationship (manipulation, harassment, non-sexual non-con).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Auradon High School, Mal and Ben’s first day of freshman year…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben quickly kissed his girlfriend goodbye and told her that he loved her before she entered her French classroom and he started heading towards his geography one.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As he was walking down the hall though, he caught sight of a gorgeous brunette girl going in the opposite direction. He truly didn’t mean to and he really shouldn’t have since he already had a girlfriend whom he loved with all his heart. Nevertheless, his stare couldn’t help but latch onto the girl.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Their eyes met as they were about to pass by each other and Ben was sure she caught him gazing and was going to send him anything from a shy expression to an irritated one.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Instead, she actually gave him a bright and warm smile that momentarily took his breath away and daintily waved her fingers at him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He returned a smile of his own and a single nod, probably with a stupidly stunned look in his eyes, but if she noticed she didn’t let on. She simply continued walking and went down the same hall that his girlfriend’s class was in.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Meanwhile, Ben wasn’t the only one immediately taken by the gorgeous, brunette girl. Inside the classroom, Mal’s eyes seemed to gravitate towards the door the second the girl entered the room.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her heart began to race at the mere sight of her and it only quickened when her friend Carlos, who was sitting beside her, waved the girl over and motioned for her to sit at the empty desk in front of him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Evie! I’m so happy we’re finally going to school together! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this!” the freckled boy enthused as, who Mal assumed was, his friend settled into her seat, “Eves, this is my friend Mal. She’s one of Jay’s best friends, remember?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Right! Of course. You’re the artist, right?” Evie asked, her voice the softest and most soothing sound the other girl had ever heard in her life, with a warm and friendly smile.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She felt like she could listen to that voice all day, every day and never get tired of hearing it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Uh, I wouldn’t really say ‘artist,’ but I dabble I guess,” the blonde denied, though with an appreciative grin.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ah, don’t be modest, Mal. This girl’s gonna be the next Banksy,” Carlos told her, bumping her lightly in the arm with his knuckles, “And, Mal, this is my best friend Evie. She’s the one who lives next door to me and who I’ve known literally since I was born and she’s also gonna be the next Idina Menzel.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh my god! Carlos, you’re the sweetest!” Evie gushed, blushing a bit at her best friend’s high praise.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You really are, Freckles,” Mal agreed with a teasing grin at the nickname, which earned her a good-natured eye-roll.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The blonde wanted to talk to Evie a lot more, but unfortunately their teacher started class right then. Luckily though, the first-day activity was just to partner up with a fellow classmate and get to know them, in French of course.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Before anyone could beat her to it, Mal immediately asked Evie if she’d like to partner up.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Um…” the girl hesitated a bit, glancing at Carlos as if seeking permission.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Said boy looked a bit confused as he analyzed the two girls. However, upon apparently having noticed something in Mal’s comportment, he furrowed his eyebrows a bit in slight suspicion and concern. Nevertheless, he, albeit hesitantly, shrugged and turned away to ask the girl beside Evie to partner up instead. He believed her name was Freddie Facilier.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Evie shrugged as well, though with a smile on her face, and accepted Mal’s offer, switching seats with Carlos for the activity, which made the blonde internally cheer for herself.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Alors, parles-tu en français déjà? Au moins un peu?</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em> [So, do you already speak French? At least a little?] </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>Or do you not speak French at all and this was just a throwaway class?” the brunette asked with a light chuckle at the end as she faced Mal.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p><em><span>The other girl, impressed with her pretty good accent, replied, “Non, je parle vraiment le français. Ben, un peu. J’ai des ancêtres français, alors ma mère a décidé que je prenne des leçons quand j’étais plus jeune.</span></em> <em><span>En plus, la famille de mon chum maintenant et lui, ils parlent un peu le français aussi. Toutefois, je les ai seulement endurés jusqu’à la sixième année.</span></em><b><em> [No, I really do speak French. I mean, a bit. I have French ancestors, so my mom decided that I take a couple lessons when I was younger. And plus, my boyfriend now and his family speak French a little too. However, I only endured them until the sixth grade.]</em></b><em><span>”</span></em></p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Aw, c’est cute ça, avec ton chum et sa famille! Parlez-vous en français parfois ou seulement en anglais? </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>[Aw, that’s cute, with your boyfriend and his family! Do you guys speak in French sometimes or just in English?]</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>” Evie asked curiously.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Seulement en anglais. Nous avons essayé, mais nous sommes tous les deux pas assez compétents en français d’être capables de maintenir des conversations trop longues sans trébucher ou oublier des mots, comme je le fais un peu maintenant, heh. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>[Only in English. We’d tried, but neither of us are adept enough in French to be able to maintain long conversations without tripping up or forgetting words, like I’m kinda doing right now, heh.]</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>” Mal answered, inexplicably happy at the genuine interest in her relationship, “Et vous? Ton accent est fort, alors t’es définitivement pas une newbie. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>[What about you? Your accent’s strong, so you’re definitely no newbie.]</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Evie giggled so cutely and replied, “Merci! Ton accent est très bon aussi. Ben, évidement, heh. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>[Thank you! Your accent’s really good too. I mean, obviously, heh.]</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Um, j’ai pris des leçons comme toi, mais par choix, heh. Cela fait environ quatre ans maintenant. Aussi, ça fait depuis que je suis environ une toute-petite que je parle l’espagnol à cause de mes parents, alors mon accent en espagnol aide probablement avec mon accent en français et avec la compréhension de quelques mots parce qu’il y en a qui sont très similaires. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>[Um, I took lessons like you, but by choice, heh. It’s been about four years now. Also, I’ve been speaking Spanish since I was like a toddler because of my parents, so my Spanish accent probably helps with my French accent and with understanding some words because there are some that are really similar.]</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“J’adore la langue et elle m’intéresse beaucoup. C’est pourquoi je prends le français et non l’espagnol, pour m’améliorer. Et parce que je préfère un vrai défi éducationnel au lieu d’un A facile.</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>[I love the language and it really interests me. That’s why I’m taking French instead of Spanish, to better myself. And because I prefer a real educational challenge instead of an easy A.]</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Câlice, t’es impressionnante!”—Mal, language!—“‘Scuse! Mais for real là, t’es sérieusement impressionnante. Un peu d’une binoclarde peut-être, mais toutefois impressionnante. Comme, t’es trilingue et apparement tu chantes? </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>[Damn, you’re impressive!—Mal, language—Sorry! But for real, you’re seriously impressive. A little bit of a nerd, sure, but nevertheless impressive. Like, you’re trilingual and apparently you sing?]</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>” Mal exclaimed, her interest in this girl growing by the second.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Uh, un peu. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>[Uh, a little.]</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>” the brunette responded, blushing a little.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“A little? That’s the understatement of the century. She sings, dances, acts, composes—You name it!” Carlos interjected.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Carlos, en français s’il-te-plaît!</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em> [Carlos, in French please!]</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sorry! I mean pardon!” the freckled boy replied with a (significantly) less adequate accent than his two girl-friends, which made them laugh.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Right then, Mal undoubtedly decided three things: One, only Evie could make a snort-laugh adorable. Two, said snort-laugh was absolutely contagious. And three, she wanted to learn anything and everything she could do to trigger that adorable, contagious snort-laugh.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>French class ended and Mal found herself actually disappointed because, in only one period, she was already hooked on Evie. It felt like something she’d never known she was missing had finally been found, but it didn’t make any sense to her. How was that even possible? How could she find something she didn’t even know she was looking for?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She was also, however, immensely worried about what this meant for her relationship with Ben. Though it was still pretty new and they were still just fourteen-year-olds, Mal had an undeniable feeling that Ben was the one for her. But was he the only one? Could she even have more than one “one?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She really had to talk to him as soon as possible, but it wasn’t a discussion for school hours. If she brought up the fact that she could be interested in someone else and she upset Ben, he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else. She would ruin his first day of high school. She couldn’t do that to him. It seemed as though she’d have to wait until the end of the day.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“So, what’re your next classes?” Carlos asked as he, Evie, and Mal packed up their things, getting ready to leave.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Science with Mr. Darby,” the brunette girl replied.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Damn. Geography with Mrs. Peters,” the freckled teenager said, “Mal?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Honestly, I have no idea and I can’t really bring myself to care,” the shortest replied with a short laugh, “Forgot my timetable in my locker.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No offence, Mal, but I really think you should care. I took a picture of mine on my phone just in case I forgot the physical paper. We only have so much time in between classes,” Evie cautiously commented.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Anyone else and it would’ve pissed Mal off that they were sticking their nose into business that was only her own, especially when it came to school. However, she couldn’t find it within herself to be annoyed with Evie.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, maybe. I’m going to my locker anyway to meet up with my boyfriend before class though, so it’s whatever,” Mal responded with a shrug, before starting to reluctantly separate from the other two, “Well, I’m going this way, so I guess I’ll see you around, Evie?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The brunette grinned and nodded, replying, “Yeah! Of course! It was really great meeting you, Mal. I’m excited to talk to you again tomorrow.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well, we don’t have to wait so long,” the shorter girl suggested, unlocking her phone and holding it out for Evie.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If Carlos didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn Mal was borderline flirting and his childhood friend was blushing a little in response as she accepted the phone and entered her number into the other girl’s contacts. Curious…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Awesome,” the blonde commented, taking her phone back and smiling at it, “Expect a message soon.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>With that, she was off to meet up with Ben before she planned on dipping out for the rest of the day with Jay, Uma, and Harry. She met Evie and she was about to see her boyfriend again. Seemed like enough of a successful first day of high school to her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Meanwhile, Carlos insisted on walking Evie to her next class, mainly so that they could spend more time together before they had to split up too.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“What a gentleman,” the brunette giggled, lightly bumping shoulders with her best friend.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“For you? Always,” the freckled teenager replied jokingly but still with completely sincere meaning.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“So, Mal really is as cool as you said she is,” Evie commented.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Right? She’s literally the coolest!” Carlos exclaimed.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He really looked up to Mal, despite only being months younger than her. She was like the cool older sibling he aspired to be like. Well, maybe except for a couple things.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“She is. Just…Does she always—” Evie hesitantly said.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Give zero shits about her education and responsibilities? Yeah, kinda. Alright. I’ll admit, she isn’t perfect, but the guy she’s dating is a really, like, </span>
  </em>
  <span>good</span>
  <em>
    <span> guy and I think he’s gonna influence her for the better maybe a little,” Carlos explained, “Trust me though. She’s a really good person herself once you get to know her.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, I don’t doubt it. She does seem really nice and I really would love to get to know her and become friends. It’s just—I don’t think my mom would really approve of me hanging out with her. She’d probably think she’s a bad influence just based off of her leather jacket alone. Never mind the fact that she obviously doesn’t seem to care about school and doesn’t seem all too concerned about hiding it,” the brunette admitted.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It sounded like a lame excuse, but Evie and her mom were super close. She considered her mother to be one of her best friends really. She told her mom everything and even if she didn’t do it by choice, she could never lie to her. She didn’t think she’d be able to go through with it and she also didn’t think her mom would even believe any lie she’d tell.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her mom, though, was really protective of her since it was just the two of them at home. Chances are she’d think Mal was trouble and, though she’d never force her daughter not to talk to someone, she definitely wouldn’t approve and that wouldn’t sit right with Evie.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Right. Yeah, I get it. My mom’s still not really crazy about me hanging out with her and Jay and their friends,” Carlos confessed, understanding where Evie’s apprehension to get close to Mal was coming from, “But hey. Like I said, I’m pretty optimistic being around Ben and his family might, you know, free her from the dark side of the force.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Evie laughed and told her friend, “You’re such a nerd!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Says the one who told Mal she likes an ‘educational challenge,’” Carlos fired back, chuckling at her too.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay! You know what!” the brunette began to protest as she lightly pushed her friend’s shoulder, though inadvertently cutting herself off when she accidentally bumped into a tall, muscular figure, “Oh my god! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The person turned, revealing himself to be an attractive dirty-blond boy with short, slightly spiky hair; clear blue eyes; and a long, angular face. His lips were down-turned at first, but once those blue eyes fell upon the one who’d bumped into him, they slipped into a very charming smirk.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Evie’s breath caught in her throat and she nervously mumbled as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, “Um, h-h-hi. Um, I-I’m so sorry. I-I wasn’t looking.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The blond boy chuckled lightly and replied, “Hey, no stress. Shit happens. I’m just glad </span>
  </em>
  <span>I</span>
  <em>
    <span> didn’t hurt </span>
  </em>
  <span>you</span>
  <em>
    <span>…uh…sorry…”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The girl giggled shyly in response, feeling a faint flap of butterfly wings inside her stomach, as she finished for him, “Evie.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Evie,” the boy repeated curiously, “Pretty name for a very pretty girl. Anthony”—he pointed at her with an inquiring look—“Freshman?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“That obvious?” Evie asked, blushing at the very recent memory of bumping into this guy.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not because of that. Swear,” Anthony replied with a chuckle, “I just definitely would’ve remembered your face.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>All the brunette could muster was another shy giggle in response.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“We should be getting to class now, but I’ll make sure to see you around again, Evie,” the blond said, flashing the girl another smile before leading his entourage of three other built guys away.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay,” Evie giddily replied, her eyes following the handsome parting figure, then turned back to Carlos and frantically questioned, “Oh my god! Did a super cute, older guy just talk to me?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Uh, no. A ‘super cute, older guy’ just straight up </span>
  </em>
  <span>hit on</span>
  <em>
    <span> you,” the freckled teenager corrected, laughing at his shocked friend, “Why are you so surprised, Eves? You’re a catch! Anybody would be lucky to have a chance with you! Hell, if I was even just a little straight, you’d be top of my list. No question.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Evie laughed with him as she rolled her eyes and told him to “Come on!” before continuing down the hall towards her science class.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As they approached the door, they caught sight of Audrey heading towards the same destination.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, Audrey! Ask Evie about her break! Later!” Carlos shouted before dashing off for his own classroom without giving Evie the opportunity to scold him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wha—‘Los!” the brunette yelled after him, only getting a fleeting view of his cheeky, little smirk.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Audrey watched the two in amused curiosity and she immediately questioned the other girl with a quirked eyebrow, “So, your break?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh my god!” Evie groaned, a bright blush painting her cheeks, as she walked past her best friend and into the classroom, trying and failing to ignore the laughing following her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Meanwhile, Ben and Mal arrived outside the classroom just after the two girls had entered. They stopped at the wall of lockers beside the door, the latter leaning back against the cold metal.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay, you better get going, Mal, or you’re gonna be late. Love you,” Ben hurriedly said, giving his girlfriend a quick kiss goodbye.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you later, babe,” the blonde replied, watching to make sure her boyfriend stayed in his classroom.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>As soon as Ben was out of sight for sure, three people approached her. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You good?” Jay asked.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yep! Let’s go,” Mal easily replied, the group walking towards the closest back exit and successfully leaving without being spotted.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Inside the science classroom, Evie had just finished telling Audrey about her first encounter with Anthony and she was absolutely gushing, though as quietly as possible.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh my god! I’m so proud of you, babes. My little girl’s growing up,” Audrey said over-dramatically, one hand over her heart and the second pretending to wipe a tear away from her eyes.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh my god, Aud. Calm down. You don’t even know he really meant it. He could very well completely forget this ever even happened by the end of the period,” Evie told her excited best friend, putting the other girl’s hands back down onto the table.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Uh, no. Babes, he said that he’d remember your face and honestly, I’m with him. Who could forget this?” Audrey replied, cradling her friend’s jaw with both hands, “Ooh! Benny Boo! Dougie! Come here!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Both boys, who’d just walked in, shared a confused expression before obeying the order.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben, however, paused before the table wherein the two girls sat and just stared in silent awe and appreciation of the gorgeous face that’d passed him by in the halls earlier. She was even prettier up close, despite her cheeks being a little squished in Audrey’s hold, which actually only made her look even cuter to be honest.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Could either of you ever forget a gorgeous face like hers?” Audrey demanded, showing them the other brunette girl’s face and silently urging them to just go with it and agree.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Although, neither boy really needed any extra incentive. Both of them simply shook their heads fervently, making googly eyes at the girl. Doug’s glasses even started to fog up a bit.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Exactly! See? I rest my case,” Audrey declared, before giving her best friend a quick kiss on the cheek and finally releasing her. She then gestured towards the chairs at the two boys who, again, obeyed her orders without question,“Sit! Sit! Boys, this is my best friend Evie. She and I both came from the same grade school. Evie, this is Doug and my first friend I’ve told you about, Ben.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hi,” Evie greeted the two with a little wave, “Ben and I actually saw each other in the halls earlier.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Heigh…ho…” Doug muttered, confusing Evie a bit and making Audrey have to bite her lip lightly to prevent a giggle from escaping.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay,” Evie drawled, albeit maintaining a friendly smile on her face, then whispered in genuine concern to her best friend, “Is he okay or should I get the teacher?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This time, Audrey couldn’t hold her little laugh in as she replied, just as quietly in order to spare at least a bit of embarrassment on the boy’s behalf, “No. That’s just Doug. He’s not very…used to pretty girls, or any really for that matter, talking to him. He did this when Jane and I each first met him and he’ll probably do it when he eventually meets Lonnie too.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Evie nodded in understanding then subtly pointed to Ben and asked, “Him too?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Audrey squinted at her first friend suspiciously, just then noticing his behaviour, and answered, “No. Not usually. Just once before.” And mentally added,</span>
  </em>
  <span> “With his current girlfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“So, what did you guys have before this?” Evie asked, trying to start an actual conversation with both boys.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Doug merely stuttered incomprehensible sounds while Ben managed to utter, “Uh. Um. G-geography. Mrs. Peters.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh! What a coincidence! My best friend has that same class right now! Was it good?” Evie inquired.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“E-eh,” the boy replied with a noncommittal shrug, his mind yelling at him to say an actual sentence to her but his mouth unable to obey.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh. Okay.” Evie deflated a bit, getting the unfortunate and unknowingly completely incorrect impression that maybe Ben didn’t really want to talk to her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Luckily for her though, Mr. Darby decided to start the class then, so she was able to distract herself with listening to the introduction instead of the slightly disappointing “conversation.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Meanwhile, Audrey was sending her first friend a “What the hell?” look, to which Ben responded with a blush and hopeless shrug. She rolled her eyes before focusing on the teacher too. Boys.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mr. Darby finished speaking and it would’ve been foolish for even freshmen to have hoped that they’d make it through all of their classes without actually needing to work.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was a simple task though really and it was easy and short enough to be able to finish within the last half hour that the teacher had spared them.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>They were starting off with the biology unit and the work was just to copy down the definition of each listed term on their page, using the textbook’s glossary. Then they had to provide at least two examples for each definition, using preferably the textbook again, but the internet was allowed.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Evie, though, only needed the exact textbook definitions. She seemingly had similar descriptions to the textbook’s already and a mental list of examples for each term already compiled in her brain.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She and Doug, who was apparently able to finally find his voice through discussing school work, were just rattling off one after the other while Ben and Audrey struggled to keep up with listening to their conversations as well as copying down answers.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It didn’t help that Ben would also occasionally get caught up just listening to Evie’s sweet voice until Audrey was poking him in the ribs with the eraser of her pencil and glaring at him to refocus and stop staring at her best friend.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He felt so bad that he was thinking about another girl while in a relationship with someone he already loved so much. He also was sure Evie was noticing his staring and getting creeped out, but not saying anything to be polite. He wasn’t trying to act like such a…boy, but he really couldn’t help but be engrossed by the girl and to…almost long for her as if she were something he’d never known he was seeking until then.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh Benny Boo,” Audrey whispered to him in a sweet voice before it quickly hardened, “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You have a girlfriend already! Does the name ‘Mal’ ring any bells for you?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Audrey, come on. How long have you known me?” Ben replied in a slightly offended tone.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He knew he deserved this treatment from Audrey, really, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Look, I’m sorry, but when you’re ogling a girl who isn’t your girlfriend, it’s kinda my job as your friend to call you out on it,” Audrey responded with a little shrug, “Especially when that girl is my best friend, who’s so sweet and innocent that she doesn’t even realize what you’re doing.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re right. You’re right. I’m sorry,” Ben acquiesced, then sighed heavily, “I’m gonna have to talk to Mal later.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Woah. Ben, that’s really loyal of you, but do you really think this is a big enough deal to tell her about it?” Audrey asked in concern.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Over the summer, Ben had been happier than she had ever seen him and she knew it was because of his new relationship with Mal. She didn’t want him lying to her or keeping secrets from her either, but she also didn’t want anything bad happening between them, especially so soon.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I have to be honest with her, Aud. And, like, I’ve never even noticed another girl this way since Mal, so that’s gotta mean something, doesn’t it? I’d rather talk to her about it straightforward than not do anything and something bad comes from it and I didn’t do anything to try and work it out,” Ben reasoned.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah. Okay. I understand. Well, good luck and tell me how it goes, okay?” Audrey said sympathetically.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben sighed and replied, “Yeah, thanks. I think I’ll need it.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mal and Ben met up at the end of the school day. He had invited her over while his parents were gone so that they could sort through his whole Evie situation in private.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>There was a knock on the front door and the second Ben answered it, both he and Mal urgently told the other in unison, “We need to talk.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh god! We’ve really become </span>
  </em>
  <span>that</span>
  <em>
    <span> couple?” Mal groaned in annoyance, scrunching her nose a bit in light-hearted disgust.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben ignored the complaint that he usually would’ve found funny and endearing as he was too anxious at the moment. He gestured for her to enter and they both made their way towards the living room couch.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Once the two were settled, facing each other, Mal requested to go first, which she was granted, and immediately launched into a nervous ramble.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay, I have to tell you something,” she said, looking guilty and worried as she played with her hands a bit, “Look, you know that I love you so, so much and you’re one of the best things in my life, but…have you ever felt like, I don’t know, something’s been missing between us since we started dating?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh my god! I just realized how horrible that sounds! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean—”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben immediately shook his head, gently taking hold of his girlfriend’s flailing hands and actually feeling a little sudden relief at her revelation, and reassured her, “No, no! Mal, relax! It’s okay. I-I completely understand what you mean! That’s what I wanted to talk to you about too. I was so scared of hurting you, but to be honest, I-I’ve been feeling it too.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Really? You’re not just saying that because I am?” Mal questioned doubtfully.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben was </span>
  </em>
  <span>so</span>
  <em>
    <span> the type of guy who would agree with almost anything, even if he didn’t truly, in order to please other people or make them feel better.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No. Not at all,” the boy assured, his voice completely honest, then hesitated a second before cautiously adding, “In fact, since earlier this afternoon, I haven’t really been feeling it as much because of…I don’t know.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mal didn’t let her boyfriend back out at this point in the discussion though as she just as carefully asked, “Could it maybe be because of someone you’ve met recently?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was a risky question, but they had to get to the bottom of this, together. They needed to tell each other what they were thinking, how they were feeling—they needed to communicate if they were to remain a couple. Especially in a situation this unknown and confusing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I-I think, maybe,” Ben admitted, a bit unsurely, “I mean, I love you just as much as I did when we first met, if not, more, but…Okay, so here’s the thing: I met this girl in my science class and…I don’t know. I-I think I might have a little crush on her?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I-I-I can’t really tell. I haven’t had a crush on </span>
  </em>
  <span>anyone</span>
  <em>
    <span> since you. I can barely even remember what it feels like to like someone else romantically. It feels like so long ago—”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ben, baby,” Mal gently interrupted, placing a comforting hand on the one still holding her other one, as she just then recalled a certain someone having the same science class as her boyfriend, “is there a chance…that this girl you’re talking about, is her name Evie? Dark hair, brown eyes, Latina—Colombian, I think.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben’s eyes lit up at even the mention of her as he exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my god! Yes! How’d you know?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The blonde grinned softly as she too thought of the other girl and replied, “Because that’s the girl I think I might have a crush on too. She’s in my French class. Carlos introduced me to her. They’re best friends I guess and his next-door neighbour.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Audrey introduced me too. They’re best friends too. She’s mentioned her tons of times whenever we’ve hung out, but I’d never actually met her,” the athlete informed, happy that they already seemed to have common friends.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It would make getting to know Evie a lot easier than if they’d started off as complete strangers with nothing at all connecting them, except for a single common class at school. That is, if she wanted to get to know them better.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Come to think of it, did Mal and Ben still want to try getting to know her better, despite their feelings for each other and possible ones for her? The simple answer was yes, but nothing about this was simple to them.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>After a moment of silence, the two stuck in their own thoughts, Ben finally questioned, “So what? We both like her?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I guess?” the artist replied, “I mean, come on. She’s the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen; she’s the sweetest and cutest thing ever; she’s got such an adorable, little giggle and snort laugh—”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“She’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>really</span>
  <em>
    <span> smart too. Watching her write all of those answers in her notebook at the speed of light—It’s really so impressive. And kind of intimidating at the same time,” the boy added in a slightly dreamy voice, “So what do we do about this? I still love you, but I also think I like this girl.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Same. I-I don’t know,” Mal concurred with a light nod and shrug of her shoulders, “Maybe we could try asking my dad? I mean, I’ve known I’m pan for a while, but he’s been a part of the LGBTQ+ community for almost his entire life. I feel like what we’re feeling is kinda relevant, so maybe he’d have more insight, I guess, and he could help us figure shit out?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben nodded as well, easily agreeing, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. He could probably provide a good, outside point of view.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay. I’ll text him and we can go over later tonight when he gets home from work,” Mal said, doing exactly that, before hesitantly adding, “I…I’m really glad we talked this out, Ben. I was so worried you were gonna hate me for liking someone else and I was gonna…ruin us and lose you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ben pulled his girlfriend into a tight embrace as he leaned back against the couch, reassuring her, “I could never hate you and I’d do anything to protect what we have—who we are together. I’m really glad we talked too. Trust me, I was probably just as nervous. But we’ll figure all this out. I know we will.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cast &amp; crew party…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What were your first impressions of the people who you met for the first time on the first day of freshman year in this room?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben flushed at the question while Mal’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Why would he ask that? What did he want to know? Why did he even care about her first impressions of anyone except himself? What was he looking for?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie, meanwhile, paled slightly as she knew exactly what Anthony wanted to hear. He wanted her to say that she had fallen in love with him at first sight and that Mal and Ben have always meant nothing to her, which couldn’t be farther from the truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, okay. So she had developed an instant crush on Anthony, but Mal and Ben had never meant nothing to her. Not even close to that. For the longest time, they’d been simply her best friends’ best friends, yes, but that still meant </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> to her. And now, they meant so much more to her than that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was surely just Anthony playing another one of his cruel mind games. He was making her choose between her current boyfriend and her current crushes, or as he knew them as, her current principal admirers. Well, if that was the way it was, if she really had to choose between dissatisfying Anthony and hurting Mal and Ben…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony and I practically fell in love at first sight”—Part one, breathe—“and Mal and Ben and I”—Part two, breathe—“I like to think we formed a special connection. At least, to me,” Evie answered, trying to ignore the way her boyfriend immediately tensed beside her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She would choose the first option every single time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I accidentally bumped into Anthony in the hallways and I liked him right away. I thought he was very cute and charming”—Maybe that would calm him down a little—“And I had classes with Mal and Ben and—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve heard enough,” Anthony tersely interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or maybe not.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What—Anthony, no! Come on! She didn’t finish! Evie, do tell us!” Ally pried, overly yet unabashedly curious about the trio’s history, “What else did you think about Mal and Ben? What classes did you share? Science? Because you’ve surely got chemistry—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!” the football player repeated himself angrily and jealously, a deadly combination for him, “Evie, don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> say another word!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room went mute right away as tension filled the air, way worse than the silence during Ethan’s turn. Carlos wanted to yell at Anthony right back to defend his best friend </span>
  <em>
    <span>so badly</span>
  </em>
  <span>. However, he was desperately repeating Mal’s words from earlier, about not talking shit about nor engaging with Anthony for the night, inside his head like a mantra and by the looks of it, so was she. Although, the rest of their friends seemed so close to bursting as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie swallowed with difficulty as she hung her head, staring at her fidgeting hands. After another moment of strained silence, she finally muttered without looking up, “I think the game is over now, Anthony. Maybe you should play something else…okay? Wh-why don’t you and the guys go play something upstairs?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony, who was still breathing harder than usual from his yelling, demanded lowly, “Are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> really ordering </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do something, Evie?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” the brunette girl answered immediately, making eye contact with her boyfriend through the corners of her eyes, “I’m merely suggesting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blond clenched and unclenched his jaw before finally stating more than asking, “You’re coming.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie withheld a sigh and replied, “Yes. Just give me a moment please. I’ll be right there. I’m just gonna get myself another drink.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine. Don’t forget one for me,” Anthony said as he nodded at his friends and headed towards the stairs with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lead actress watched them leave before releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and then rushing off towards the kitchen, her long locks forming protective curtains around her reddened face. She had to work really hard to ignore all of the eyes following her until she was out of sight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Evie was gone, the remaining partygoers reunited with their friends and then began the gossip about what had happened throughout the entire truth or dare game, the main topic obviously being Evie and Anthony’s twisted relationship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal felt a light backhand on her bicep and she turned towards the source, otherwise known as Uma, who merely nodded her head towards the kitchen. She looked behind her at her boyfriend, who was staring back at her with a concerned expression that probably mirrored her own. She then sought Carlos and Audrey out and received perturbed but urging looks as they pointed towards the kitchen as well with their eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde returned her gaze to Uma and she simply nodded and tapped on Ben’s hand, directing him to “Come on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The couple got up and walked towards the kitchen, making sure no one was planning on following them to either watch or interrupt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they entered the room, they found Evie just leaning forward against the island, presumably trying to recompose and/or mentally prepare herself to face her boyfriend again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the sound of their footsteps, she looked up and quickly turned her head so that she could wipe away any traces of her vulnerability. However, when she turned back, she didn’t even try to smile as she told the two, “I’m so sorry about him. I know he’s not really a fun person for anyone but his own friends to be around when he’s drunk.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sober either,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mal wanted to say, but instead she said as reassuringly yet as devoid of details as she could in order to not upset the girl any further, “None of that was your fault. Please don’t apologize for him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If anything, we’re sorry we didn’t do anything to help,” Ben added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Evie immediately replied, shaking her head, albeit with a small but genuine smile finally gracing her gorgeous face, “I’m actually really grateful for you guys having not done anything. I wouldn’t have wanted to cause an even bigger scene than what has already transpired.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not that I think you would’ve worsened anything because I don’t. At all. Anthony just gets so…confrontational that he would’ve kept pushing back and pushing back until he finally won or…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We—Evie, trust us. We didn’t think that. Not even for a second,” Ben assured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I actually kinda figured you wouldn’t have wanted us to do anything tonight,” Mal confessed, “Gotta admit it was pretty hard though, heh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette girl smiled lightly and responded, “Well, thank you. I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. Really.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She then started walking away, intending to return to her boyfriend, but Ben couldn’t help but stop her with a gentle hand on her wrist and a question.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie,” the boy started, his tone completely serious but his face soft with concern, “are you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie practically melted at that as well as the pure compassion and care in Mal’s expressive eyes as she replied with a tender but oh-so-fragile smile, “Yes. Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie”—That damn voice ruined everything, as usual—“Hurry up. Anthony’s waiting. For you </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> his beer. You’re really trying his patience tonight, huh, sweetheart?” Ray scolded the younger girl, suddenly right outside the kitchen, “Hey, and while you’re at it, grab me one too, doll face.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie sighed quietly and nodded, grabbing two bottles of beer but leaving her lemonade once again because she didn’t have big enough hands to carry all three. As she maneuvered around the kitchen, she shot Mal and Ben yet another unnecessary apologetic look on someone else’s behalf.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde girl’s nose twitched as if she were withholding a snarl while her boyfriend’s face began to flush in anger and annoyance as they watched Anthony’s best friend treat Evie like some unappreciated housewife or maid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lead actress finally brought the beers over to Ray and handed him one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm. Good girl,” Ray flattered Evie as he accepted the bottle, stepping into her personal space and giving her a peck on the cheek and a slap on her backside so hard that it pushed her forward a bit, which earned him a surprised and pained yelp from the girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He ignored Evie’s discomfort as he placed a hand on her lower back and ushered her towards the stairs, glancing back at Mal and Ben with a smirk. He was disturbingly satisfied to see the boy have to wrap both his arms around his girlfriend’s waist in order to keep her from racing after him, though with an even redder face, in, what he perceived to be, a fit of jealous fury.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben and Mal remained in the kitchen, the former only relaxing his hold on the latter once Ray was out of sight and estimated range of a sudden body checking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brown-haired boy sighed as he loosened his arms and placed a kiss onto the back of his girlfriend’s head, whispering into her hair for her to please stay calm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I’m good,” Mal promised as she turned in Ben’s arms to face the boy and wrapped her own around his torso, “I just can’t stand how Anthony treats her and even lets his friends treat her and Ray’s the worst. Like, what the hell was that? And the fucking dare earlier? He’s such a creepy, misogynistic ass.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. I hate it too,” Ben agreed as he leaned down to touch foreheads with the other teenager, “I really wanna figure out what’s going on between them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal furrowed her eyebrows and asked, “You don’t think…they’re all, like, dating each other too, right? Because I’m pretty sure they’re fucking homophobic and so if they’re some kind of toxic throuple, then they’re fucking hypocrites and Evie’s dealing with double the amount of bullshit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. I don’t think that’s it exactly,” the athlete expressed thoughtfully, “Anthony and Ray don’t seem to feel anything more than deadly strong platonic feelings for each other. And they </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> homophobes, so yeah, I don’t think it’s exactly that, but it does seem almost as if Anthony’s, like, freaking sharing her with him or, like, certain elements of being with her or something like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still, that’s such a fucked up situation,” the blonde commented, earning a nod in agreement, “I hate that she’s going through this and who knows how long it’s been now? She’s so fucking amazing and she doesn’t deserve any of this shitty stuff being thrown at her constantly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, she doesn’t,” the boy concurred, then briefly paused in thought before taking his girlfriend’s hand, grabbing Evie’s abandoned lemonade, and leading her towards the stairs as well, “Come on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What-what’re we doing? Ben, where’re we going?” Mal questioned in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d been so cozy and comfortable and warm in his arms and now he wanted her to move?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re joining the idiots in the game room. We’re not leaving Evie stuck there alone with them,” Ben answered as they began ascending the stairs, “And maybe we can help cheer her up some more again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> she does deserve.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Probably one or two more party chapters maybe?</p>
<p>Also, if it wasn’t obvious by now or if you’re not familiar with the Percy Jackson books, Ethan Nakamura is a character directly from the whole Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, etc. series. And Anthony, I just picture him looking exactly like Luke Castellan from the same series.</p>
<p>As always, thanks for reading.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Graceless Exit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Teeny tiny note. Literally, like, probably the most unimportant note in this entire story, but: I changed Evie’s mom’s nickname for her. I had just looked up what are some common spanish terms of endearment and picked those ones, but I just found that Sof and Pau’s dad calls them his muñecas (dolls in spanish), so I’m going with that from now on. Thanks lol!</p>
<p>Trigger warnings: abusive relationship (manipulation, harassment, non-sexual non-con, physical violence).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Mal and Ben got to the game room, their eyes immediately sought Evie out. They kind of had a knack for finding her quite quickly and easily at this point. It was pretty simple: just look for the most gorgeous girl in the entire world in a single, comparatively small room or area.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately yet expectedly, she was glued to her boyfriend’s side, who was currently playing an apparently very heated and exhilarating game of air hockey against Robbie, surrounded by his rowdy, cheering friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a wonder the group of video game players could even hear the TV over them. Either that or they just didn’t feel like dealing with the boys to tell them to shut up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The couple suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind them and turned to find Jay, Uma, Harry, and Gil arriving at the game room as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Figured we could be backup,” Uma answered the unasked question simply, “Freckles wanted to come too, but I told him he needed to cool down after the game first, so he’s hanging with Jane downstairs for now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys. We really appreciate it,” Mal responded, “But, you know, we would’ve been fine anyway, just the two of us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, we know. We don’t give a shit about either of you. We’re here for her,” Jay jokingly replied, gesturing towards his blonde best friend’s crush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal nodded and sarcastically retorted, “Ahh. Yes, of course. How could I have just assumed?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right?” the long-haired boy continued to play along with a scoff, “So stupid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ridiculous,” Mal agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speaking of ridiculous,” Uma chimed in, “I think one of us might wanna step in over there now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other five teenagers looked over towards Anthony and his buddies, like their friend was indicating them to, and tuned into what was being said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Baby, come on! Just man up and play me! Just one game! Come on! Let loose a little! For once, don’t be such a stick in the mud!” the football player was urging his seemingly reluctant girlfriend, as he held her against him by the waist like an accessory.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony, you know I hate it when you use that saying,” Evie replied, bowing her head slightly away from him, “And you also know that I don’t like these kinds of games.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Especially not with you and your friends when you shoot so unnecessarily hard just to show off and scream at the freaking tops of your lungs every single time you guys get a goal,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she mentally added in apprehension and annoyance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Killjoy!” Anthony jeered, prompting his friends to join in and making his girlfriend flush deeply in embarrassment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay, Uma, and Harry all closed their eyes with a collective sigh and shook their heads, while Jay and Gil each placed a grounding hand onto either of Ben’s shoulders, who was practically vibrating with anger at the mockery and disrespect.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Tremaine! Leave her alone, okay? I’ll play you,” Mal offered in an almost bored voice, as she walked over to the football and hockey players.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catching onto their friend’s diversion tactic, Jay, Harry, and Gil stepped forward with the petite blonde.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony looked towards the newcomer and scoffed, dismissing her, “Yeah, okay. Sure. Seriously though, Short Stack, run along. I’m looking for an actual challenge.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, so am I, but I’ve gotta settle for you,” Mal retorted, earning herself praise from her friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really wanna get your ass kicked in front of all these people?” the senior boy competitively asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Sure. I’d love for there to be an audience to watch me make a football player cry,” the blonde girl responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony scoffed again and finally accepted with a heavy tone of arrogance, “Fine. You’re on, Moors.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Boys and their overinflated egos. So predictable,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mal thought in amusement at her successful baiting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re gonna need your full focus and range of motion if you plan on beating me though,” the artist pointed out as she grabbed the air hockey striker and nodded towards Evie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luckily, Anthony was drunk enough to agree without questioning anything as he released his girlfriend and grabbed the puck with his newly freed hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie, knowing exactly what Mal had done and trying really hard not to get caught up in swooning over the sweet gesture, subtly sent her a warm and grateful smile, before inconspicuously slipping away from the crowd as the game started and the surrounding boys began to grow rowdy again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t really know what to do now, but she apparently didn’t need to figure it out either as she suddenly heard a whistle and looked towards the source of the sound.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Uma. She was standing next to Ben, who was holding a cup out to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette’s smile widened when she realized that it was her previously abandoned lemonade. She walked over and accepted the drink with a thank-you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eh. It’s the least we could do. I suspect Ray already made you leave one behind, so,” Ben replied with a shrug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no. It-it wasn’t his fault. I just…forgot it…both times,” Evie automatically replied, her voice inadvertently growing quieter and less confident as she spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of calling on the obvious bullshit, Uma decided to completely redirect the topic in attempts to cheer the conversation up a little, “Evie, I never knew you were so talented, girl! Like, your voice is literally out of this world!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, and you’re a beautiful dancer! Really. Your technique is impeccable! I loved your audition duet with Carlos so much!” Ben added with complete sincerity, “And you’re an amazing actress! Just, the amount of passion and love you have for performing is so admirable!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww! Thank you guys so much!” Evie gushed, her cheeks pink and her smile bright, “You’re both so talented too! Your writing is amazing, Ben, and you’re such a natural-born leader and it shows in your directing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And, Uma, my voice? I remember always being so excited to hear you sing back in freshman vocals class because your voice is truly extraordinary! The pure power and beauty in your singing is just unreal. It’s such a shame we never did, like, a duet or something together. I think that would’ve been so much fun! But I never knew you were such an awesome dancer too though!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other two teenagers thanked the brunette and Uma asked, “When did you know you wanted to be in the arts?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh. Since before I could even remember,” Evie answered, “I’ve always loved to sing. All my life, I’d just break out into song. I used to dress up in my mom’s heels and sing, like, literally any Disney princess song, but especially Part of Your World or anything from Beauty and The Beast since Belle’s my favourite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And then I started dance when I was three. I actually enrolled in ballet with Carlos. I went on to do a couple competitions, but he decided to branch out into so many different genres, like breakdancing and hip hop, which is why he’s so amazing. Really, I literally can’t believe his talent sometimes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, and then I fell in love with acting, obviously especially in musicals, and my mom also taught me some piano too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy goddamn shit!” Uma said, impressed, while Ben simply stared at his crush in awe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re so cool!” he complimented the brunette sincerely, realizing but not really caring how lame his middle-school-level flirting was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie nevertheless laughed and blushed a little, lightly shaking her head, then asked for the other two’s stories on how they got into their arts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie, Ben, and Uma chatted for a while longer, the latter two successfully cheering the lead actress up. That is, until their attention was suddenly ripped away from their delightful conversation and drawn towards the air hockey table by Anthony’s raised voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you know what? FUCK THIS! THIS IS A STUPID FUCKING GAME ANYWAY!” he shouted, then threw his striker across the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony!” Evie scolded her boyfriend as she and Ben rushed over towards him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah. Real nice. Real mature,” Mal commented sarcastically as she crossed her arms and gave the football player a dead stare, unimpressed but nevertheless wary of him because of his excessive outburst from losing at a stupid game.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony readied himself to snap back, but Evie stopped a couple feet away from him and quietly yet hurriedly and decisively intervened, “I think you’re done, Anth. I think it’s time to take you and your friends home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! Fuck you, Evie! I’m not done with my night yet! Don’t be such a goddamn killjoy, babe!” the blond refused, earning himself hard glares from his “love adversaries.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony, please. I-I wanna go home,” the singer tried again, lowering her voice so that only her boyfriend could hear her, “If…If you agree to leave with me right now, we can spend the rest of the weekend together at my place. Alone. My mom’s doing a photography job out of town.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony cocked an eyebrow, smirking mischievously, and said, “Hm. Tempting, baby. Very tempting. But I think we could make more use of an entire weekend in an empty house. Let’s kick it up a notch, huh, babe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The football player suddenly wrapped an arm around his girlfriend’s tiny waist and tugged her right up against him. He then leaned his head down to nibble at her throat, then her jaw, and finally her ear and whispered into it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ray reminded me that you still owe us both for your disobedience from Thursday. Why don’t you invite him too, hm? Kill two birds with one stone? It’d make us both really happy. So happy even that we’d all be willing to ditch this snooze fest early,” Anthony proposed as he slowly pushed Evie’s hair off of her shoulder and held her by the side of her neck, “I think you need some new marks here anyway. You can’t even see any of my old ones anymore. How will people know you’re mine?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Maybe with how you already make it abundantly clear,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>the actress internally answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, she simply nodded and reluctantly replied, “Okay. Fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm. There’s my good little girl,” Anthony praised the younger teenager’s submissive behaviour, squeezing her ass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He held onto her and continued to bite at her neck for a few more seconds, before finally releasing her with a hard slap to her ass that made her wince and almost yelp. He then began rounding up his friends and ushering them out of the game room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Obviously, he was excited to get Evie in a much more private setting. Not that he hasn’t already done the limits of what his girlfriend would allow him to get to, in public or not, in front of crowds of people before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, E,” Mal suddenly spoke up as she gently caught the girl by the wrist and stopped her before she could follow after the crowd of boys, who didn’t notice her falling behind, “Are you leaving?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I-I have to. I’m sorry. He’s…He’s getting to be kind of out of control. He’s had too much to drink, I think,” Evie responded, eyes occasionally shifting towards the football and hockey boys anxiously as if anticipating one of them to turn around and steal her away from the blonde and her boyfriend, or even worse, warn Anthony.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” Ben chimed in, “but does that mean that you have to go too?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. I’m their DD,” the singer replied, hating but relating with the way both of their faces fell in disappointment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Right,” the boy said, feeling his heart drop a little at the thought of his and Mal’s time with their crush ending for the night already, “I’m sorry your night’s ending like this. I wish you could stay longer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie smiled, both a little sadly and longingly and a little adoringly and giddily, wishing the same thing, and responded, “I do too. It might not really seem like it, but I really enjoyed tonight…mostly because I got to spend time with you both.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal and Ben grinned like lovesick puppies. Their crush was basically saying that they made putting up with her lousy boyfriend and his dumb friends’ crap worth it! Though neither of them felt they were deserving of such a compliment, nothing else anyone said to them for another, like, month at least could top that!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same here,” Mal replied sincerely, her eyes shining.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve loved hanging out with you too,” Ben added, “Maybe…we won’t have to wait so long for next time?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie released a breathy but relieved laugh, as she hadn’t been too sure in how well received her comment would’ve been, and answered with a soft smile, “Can’t wait.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The couple returned warm smiles of their own, before Ben, ever the courteous gentleman, offered, “Well, at least let us walk you to the door.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Evie instantly refused much less gracefully than she’d intended, surprising her two crushes, “Oh my god! I’m so sorry! Um, I-I didn’t mean it that way. I just—um…Actually, would you mind doing me a favour instead?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though confused by the strange reaction, Mal answered without hesitation, “Of course. Anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think you could maybe track Ethan Nakamura down and ask him if he would mind driving the other group of Anthony’s friends home now too please? He’s their other DD,” the singer shyly requested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Sure. No problem,” the two easily agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And please remind him that he can come back if he wants. I don’t wanna ruin his night </span>
  <em>
    <span>anymore</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but I just can’t take them all by myself,” Evie added, “Thank you so much, M, Ben.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette then hesitated for a moment before going for it and giving both of her crushes a hug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mal and Ben’s grins widened even more as they happily reciprocated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three then reluctantly separated to do as they needed. Evie descended the stairs, relieved yet annoyed to find Anthony and all ten of his friends gathered at the door and tripping over each other in attempts to leave the house in their drunken states.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She made sure they were all out before she herself stepped outside. Mal and Ben must’ve still been looking for Ethan, so she waited just beyond the front door and watched the boys pile into the two vehicles they’d brought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She must admit, despite having established DDs, they still weren’t being very responsible. Anthony’s car was exactly that: a car. A nice one, but still just a car, so they could only fit four people plus the driver.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Ray’s was a pickup truck with a front bench, so only Ethan and two other people would be in the cab and the rest would all be illegally riding in the cargo bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eves!” a voice came from behind her, diverting her attention from the ridiculous boys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Carlos. Audrey was right behind him and she could see Lonnie and Jane hanging back at the entrance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey. You’re leaving already?” the freckled boy asked downheartedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. They’re just all so drunk. Anthony nearly created a hole in one of your game room walls with an air hockey striker simply because he lost to Mal,” Evie explained, “I need to get them out of here before they can do anything worse.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Audrey responded, disappointed and angry that her best friend had to sacrifice something for herself yet again because of her stupid boyfriend, “Well, are you really gonna be okay driving them home, babes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Yeah, no. I’ll-I’ll be fine. It’ll be okay. They’ll probably pass out at some point during the drive,” Evie replied, realizing yet guiltily disregarding the fact that she was most likely lying to her two best friends. Again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then, Ethan emerged from the house, his hands awkwardly shoved in his jacket pockets and his face donning a tight, half-hearted smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Ethan,” Evie gently greeted the boy, suddenly feeling even more guilty, this time though, on behalf of her boyfriend and his friends for what they’d put him through earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The black-haired teenager softened his smile for his not-such-a-secret-anymore crush and returned, “Hey, Evie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He then politely added with a nod to both of them, “Audrey. Carlos.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They smiled lightly and waved back, but otherwise remained silent as Evie said, trying to be as relaxed but sincere as possible, “Ethan, um…I’m so sorry. For Anthony and the others. It-it wasn’t cool, what they did to you during the Truth or Dare game.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan scoffed humourlessly and responded, “Me? Evie, what they did to you was way worse. You don’t owe me an apology—You don’t owe me anything. If anything, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> embarrassed </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t,” the brunette assured, shaking her head lightly with a soft smile. Her smile dropped, however, and she momentarily lowered her head when she hesitantly asked, “Um…Were…Were you serious when you said that you don’t wanna…hang out with them anymore?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, Ethan, heh, I’d totally understand if you were. They never treated you really well. But…I don’t know. I just…I think you’re a great friend to have and it’d be a shame if…you know, I never see you again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If she didn’t know any better, Evie could’ve sworn the boy’s eyes brightened ever so slightly and it made her feel a little lighter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan scratched the back of his neck and sighed, replying, “Hahh. You know, honestly, Evie, and I say this meaning no offence to you at all, I never really should’ve gotten involved with those assholes in the first place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The only reason I did was…Heh. So stupid. I thought they were the ‘cool guys’ and that they’d help me, the new guy from New York who no one knew and who didn’t know anyone either, to fit in easier. *Scoff* Man, was I wrong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right. All I was to them was a…pathetic kid who they could make do all the things they didn’t wanna deal with just because I was desperate enough for friends, even if they were fake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what I was…to everyone except for you”—he smiled softly at Evie—“You were never a fake friend, Evie. That’s the one good thing that came out of getting involved with those morons: meeting you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So yeah, I was serious. I don’t wanna hang out with them anymore. But that doesn’t mean I want the same with you, Evie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The brunette smiled in relief and responded, “Good. I’m really glad because I feel the same way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ethan smiled once more, then glanced over at the idiots in Ray’s truck and said, “Well, guess we better go drive a bunch of drunk assholes home. In hindsight, I guess I shouldn’t have given Ray his keys back, but man, did it feel good to throw them at </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> dumb face. Heh. No offence, but thank god he’s riding with you. Or else he might’ve tried driving away already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, anyway, I’m gonna come back if that’s okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey easily nodded, finally having determined that her best friend was right, that Ethan was a genuinely good guy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, after I drop Ray’s truck off at his place and get my car back from his house, do, uh, do you want a ride back too?” the black-haired boy offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though it wasn’t Ethan’s fault, Evie’s heart dropped a bit, the offer reminding her that she had to deny even though she wanted so badly to just accept and get to spend more time with her crushes and friends. She’d barely even hung out with any of her friends, except for maybe one interaction per person and that horrible game of Truth or Dare, which she didn’t even really count.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m…actually gonna spend the rest of the night with Anthony,” the singer admitted quietly, painfully aware of the disappointment she was receiving at the moment for her cowardice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Ethan replied simply, nodding a bit, “Okay then…um…uh, I guess I’ll see you around then and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Sure. No problem, Ethan,” the other three teenagers responded, before the black-haired boy walked away, retrieved Ray’s keys from him with only a bit of difficulty, climbed into the football player’s truck that was packed with seven drunk idiots, and carefully drove off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Apparently seeing Ethan leave already angered Anthony as he climbed out of his car—from the driver’s seat— and shouted at his girlfriend, “Evie! What the fuck? Let’s go! You’re wasting our time with you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey wanted to tell him to shut the fuck up in return, however Carlos spoke before she could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, what’s he talking about? What does he mean by ‘our?’ And why the hell is </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> behind the wheel? He’s drunk off his ass. I thought you were driving?” the freckled boy couldn’t help but fret over his friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am! I am! ‘Los, don’t worry. I’m driving. He just—He’s, like, obsessed with his car and he’s usually the only person who drives it. It’s difficult for him to give up control of it, even for me, so he’s just sitting there as long as he can,” Evie assured the other two concerned teenagers, “We’re gonna switch though. Don’t worry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos and Audrey subtly shared a look, both of them taking note of the apparent parallels in the relationships between Anthony and his girlfriend and Anthony and his car but, otherwise, keeping their remarks to themselves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, well good, I guess,” the party hostess replied, “And what about what Anthony said?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn. Evie had been hoping they’d let that one slip if she answered the driving question first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie!” Anthony yelled again, surprisingly still waiting by his car, “Don’t you fucking ignore me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not, Anthony! I’ll be there in a sec! I promise! I’m just saying bye to Carlos and Audrey!” the taller girl replied, hoping he wouldn’t lose his patience again and come over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, hurry the fuck up!” the football player ordered, throwing his arms into the air in frustration but, otherwise, didn’t move.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sometimes, Carlos and Audrey felt they deserved a literal trophy every time they refrained from marching up to Anthony and punching him right in the face every single time he was rude towards their best friend. Truly. It was a considerable feat and the challenge presented itself multiple times on a daily basis. Just the sheer amount of willpower it required.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry, guys. I have to go,” Evie said, slowly and reluctantly beginning to take a couple steps towards the car, “Go back inside and enjoy the rest of the party. Please. Thank you guys so much for all of this. I’ll be back in the morning as soon as I can to help clean up, okay? Now go inside and have fun.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carlos and Audrey didn’t want Evie to leave, but they knew there was nothing they could do nor say that would get her to defy her intimidating boyfriend and stay. There was nothing that would make Evie put herself first for once.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, well, don’t stress about the clean-up and get over here before you go,” Audrey finally resigned as she opened her arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The taller girl smiled softly and moved back over to her best friend. She circled her arms around her, resting her chin onto her shoulder and smiling wider when she felt the embrace be reciprocated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the two girls separated, Carlos immediately demanded a hug for himself in a playful tone, to which both girls laughed and Evie easily granted his request.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And, of course, not wanting to be left out, Lonnie and Jane hurried out and practically pounced upon their friend before she could try to escape without giving them a goodbye hug too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie still donned a grin as she watched her four best friends reluctantly reenter the house without her. As soon as the door closed though, her smile fell slowly and she took a deep breath, before turning and approaching her annoyed boyfriend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ, Evie. You’re leaving a lame-ass party, not moving to fucking Australia,” Anthony sassed off the second she was within audible range.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie lowered her eyes and nodded, responding, “I’m sorry I made you wait, Anthony.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, whatever,” the blond impatiently replied, then held his hand out expectantly, “Just give me my keys.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The singer hesitated though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie, give me my keys,” Anthony repeated in a more severe tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hated having to repeat himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, Anthony, I still really think that I should be the one to drive,” Evie quietly expressed, knowing that this would only piss him off further, but also foreseeing the possible consequences of just handing the keys to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god, Evie. Would you just fucking chill out with this? I got us here in one piece, didn’t I?” Anthony immediately grew defensive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, but that was when you were significantly more sober,” the actress pointed out, “And even then, you’d already had at least three drinks and I was very uncomfortable. I don’t even know how many you’ve had now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie, I’m not gonna have this fucking fight with you again,” the football player replied without even considering the idea for a second, “I’m perfectly capable of driving after a couple fucking drinks and no one drives Lucifer but me or Ray.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Growing frustrated, Evie foolishly countered without any forethought, “Okay, but did you ever think that maybe I, your completely sober girlfriend, can be trusted to drive your car responsibly? I mean, especially since I’m not the one of the two of us who’s ever gotten into an accident, particularly while drunk.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately realizing her mistake, without even needing to see Anthony’s glare darken significantly, she closed her eyes and cursed under her breath, then reopened them and hurriedly tried to backtrack, “Shit. Anthony, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me my fucking keys, Evie. I’m not gonna ask you again,” the boy demanded in a low, warning tone that promised trouble if he were to be denied again, the hand that wasn’t waiting for the keys curling into a tight fist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony, please, just hear me out—” Evie tried to reason with her boyfriend, but she cut herself off with a yelp when he suddenly grabbed her wrist with an extremely tight and painful grip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony, stop! Please!” the brunette pleaded, eyes darting towards the house to make sure that no one was witnessing this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anthony yanked his girlfriend against him, positioning his mouth right next to her ear, and threatened in a low and dangerous voice, “Let go of the goddamn keys or I will fucking sprain your wrist again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evie hesitated again, so he somehow tightened his already vice-like grip, her hand beginning to turn blue from loss of circulation. There was definitely going to be a nasty bruise left there, which would be easy enough to hide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If he sprained her wrist again though, there’d be too many questions. She’d barely been able to cover it all up last time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Therefore, Evie reluctantly opened her hand with very little difficulty since her hand was going slack anyway and the keys finally fell into Anthony’s awaiting palm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blond thankfully released her wrist with a rough shove, before yanking the driver’s side door open. He didn’t climb in right away though because Evie had yet to move.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get into the car, Evie,” he ordered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anthony—” Evie tried to protest, cradling her damaged wrist, but she was immediately interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’M FUCKING DONE WITH YOUR GODDAMN BULLSHIT TONIGHT, EVIE!” Anthony snapped, slamming his hand onto the top of his car doorframe, which meant he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> angry now if he was hitting his beloved Camaro, “Get into the fucking car or I’ll put you into it myself!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The singer swallowed harshly and blinked rapidly, forcing the building tears in her eyes away. She then dropped her head in terrified submission as she shamefully rounded the vehicle and climbed into the passenger side.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>First of all, I know the conversation between Evie, Uma, and Ben sounds kinda awkward. I was gonna develop it more, have them have more of a nice conversation like Balvie had in one of the previous party chapters, but I figured that would just be lagging the party on then, this relationship isn’t gonna be a particularly significant one anyway, and I also couldn’t really think of anything else for them to talk about lol. But yeah, so that’s the end of the party, but next comes the aftermath and some elaboration on what was just revealed at the end of this chapter ;)</p>
<p>(Just me fangirling over Sofia Carson again, so skip if u want) Second of all, this is the second time I’ve updated on the same day Sof’s released a new single and I swear! I totally do not plan it XD I mean, I couldn’t really even if I tried with her dope surprise singles. It’s literally all just a coincidence. But, man, I seriously LUV her music!!! &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3</p>
<p>I literally have bought every single song she’s performed except for one of the songs on the If the Shoe Fits soundtrack ‘cause it’s catchy, just not my jam and the other, Girl Like That, because it’s an unreleased track and the only two recordings I can find are live performances with too much surrounding noise to really hear the song clearly, which, I mean awesome for her. Crowd freaking loves her and they're just showing their appreciation. Don’t blame them one bit. BUT not so awesome for wanting a good recording of this song XD</p>
<p>Something I luv so much is how different all of her songs are from each other. I have a playlist on my phone of all songs that she’s in and I can literally identify the song within the first like two or three seconds because of how unique she makes each of her songs from the others. I mean, they’re all like pop-dance, yeah, but, like, most of them have different styles, they all have different structures, they all tell different stories—I just freaking LUV her music.</p>
<p>Anyway, feel free to tell me what u guys think about her music if u want; go take a listen to her latest, Fool’s Gold; and, as always, thanks for reading :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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